


taming a stray

by BottomDeathstroke



Series: Black Hat tries to be Nice (TM) [9]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Adoption, Amputation, Bathing/Washing, Blood and Injury, Brother-Brother Relationships, Brother-Sister Relationships, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Canon-Typical Violence, Diapers, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Forced adoption, Imprisonment, Kidnapping, Magic, Major Character Injury, Minor Violence, Non-Consensual Spanking, Non-Sexual Age Play, One-Sided Attraction, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Over the Knee, Parental Affection, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Torture, Permanent Injury, Platonic Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Spanking, Violence, Wrongful Imprisonment, technically kidnapping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-01-14 20:10:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 90,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18483514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BottomDeathstroke/pseuds/BottomDeathstroke
Summary: Content with his retirement, White Hat plans to live out the rest of his days in relative peace… that is, until local law enforcement are on his doorstep, begging him to help rehabilitate a juvenile villain. It’s been a long time since White Hat’s been gentle with a criminal- okay, he’s never been all that gentle with them- but he’s determined to atone for his sins through ‘fixing’ this young villain in the making. But is love enough to turn Slug Flys’ life around, or will his seemingly volatile nature destroy him from the inside out?





	1. who we're born to/who we're brought to

**Author's Note:**

> I’m sorry guys, I ain’t leaving this one up to the votes; this one Needs to be written right now because it’s the one I have the most inspiration for/I love the Heroic crew so much and I need to scream about Slug and White Hat, so… this. BTW, a lot of the characterization for these guys comes from “themcnobody” and “qtarts” on Tumblr (they have the Best heroic squad content)!

“Come now, mi hermano,” Black comes ever closer, hundreds upon hundreds of long, thin tentacles surging around the mass that he has become, festering and hungry. “Why do you continue to restrain yourself? Are you not tempted to unleash your powers on this worthless world as I do?”

White sits up on his knees, clutching his stomach with a look of horror on his pale face. “Black…  _ enough!”  _ He begs, voice shaking more than he’d care to admit. “Please, brother; I cannot bare to harm you! Let us end this!”

Black chuckles, White just able to make out his brother’s wicked grin from the darker demon’s overabundance of limbs. “Oh, no need to fret, White… I do intend to finish this, once and for all,” In the blink of an eye, all of the tentacles reel upwards, shifting into obsidian spikes pointing towards White’s slumped over position. “You  _ will _ learn to fight, dearest brother… whether you like it or not.”

Before Black can launch the spikes through his twin, a blast of light erupts from White’s body, temporarily blinding Black. By the time the devious demon has recovered, White is a mass of wings and eyes, his very presence sending an uncomfortable chill into the air, leaving Black shivering somewhat. Slowly, White stands up, his frame vibrating with the force of his powers. Up until this moment, White has used his abilities sparingly, but in his lowest moment he finds that he can no longer restrain himself how he once did, leaving his vessel of a body barely capable of sustaining itself, unable to cope with the sheer amount of power. When White opens his mouth, he heaves forward as hot, gunky tar spills from his throat. He doesn’t retch or cough; just bends over, letting his jaw go slack as the thick liquid continues to pour out.

“Dios  _ mío,” _ Black murmurs, stepping back a few paces, his eyes wide with equal parts shock and horror. “Hermano… how long have you been keeping it inside this time?”

**“I DON’T KNOW,”** White doesn’t want to scream, but that’s nonetheless what he does when he attempts to speak, droplets of tar still slipping down the corners of his mouth.  **“BUT I KNEW… I** **_KNEW_ ** **I WAS UNSTABLE, BLACK, I** **_TOLD YOU_ ** **IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS! PLEASE, BROTHER, GET OUT OF HERE WHILE YOU CAN!”**

“I’m not leaving you like this, White!” Black insists, his earlier temper diminished, replaced by genuine concern for his twin; after all, he’d only been playing earlier (as hard as that is for an outsider to believe). “This is exactly why you need to be practicing more; so that you are not incapacitated by your own abilities!”

**“ARE YOU REALLY LECTURING ME RIGHT NOW!? WHEN I HAVE WHAT I CAN ONLY ASSUME IS THE SINS OF MAN POURING OUT OF MY MOUTH!?”** White asks, the darkness beginning to come out as tears as well, staining his cheeks a dark grey.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Black chides, daring to step closure. However, White’s body reacts before he can get too close, angelic rays of light solidifying (much like Black’s trademark tentacles) to curl around the darker demon, lifting him off the ground and away from White.  _ “Ack! _ White, you brute! Stop it! I’m only trying to-” The rays constrict, causing Black to let out several retched coughs, green droplets of blood splattering onto the ground.  _ “-Help! _ Only helping!”

**“I CAN’T MAKE IT STOP!”** White screeches at the top of his lungs, his voice quivering as he sobs outright, feeling all kinds of overwhelmed.  **“BLACK, I** **_CAN’T STOP!”_ **

“You  _ can!  _ Focus, mi hermano!” Black all but begs, kicking uselessly at the tendrils crushing his torso, but it’s no use. He tries and fails to produce his own extra appendages, to no avail, as the noodly vines are constricting him too hard, making it difficult to not only focus but breathe.

**“I… I THINK I'M-”** White stops, quite suddenly collapsing to the ground.

Not all at once, but still quickly, the rays of light withdraw back into White’s body, the pale demon no longer glowing. Black is unceremoniously released, unable to stop himself from falling, collapsing in a heap a few feet in front of his brother. The more devious of the two lets out a long, tortured groan, before he fitfully sits up, giving his twin a stern glare. “Idiota,” Black growls, somewhat gently slapping White on the back, hardly phased by what just occurred. “I tell you time and time again to practice for this very reason! Should I lose control, you are the only being capable of stopping me. However, at the rate you’re going, you are far more likely to do more damage than I in such an emergency.”

White doesn’t respond for a good, long while, as his now crystal clear tears soak into the dirt below his face. He turns his head to the side, finally able to breathe properly. “I know…” He whispers, bottom lip trembling with guilt. “I’m so sorry, Blackie… I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Black rolls his eyes, a loose chuckle escaping his throat. “You know damn well that I’ve suffered much worse, mi hermano,” He jokes, holding out a hand to his twin. “Come, White… mustn’t stay too long, lest a human happen upon our little ‘play fight’.”

Groaning, White rolls onto his back, revealing a festering, ginormous gash across his front, trailing from just below his throat to just above his abdomen, a mess of blue blooded organs exposed to the outside world, some chunks already speckled with dirt. “I… do not believe I can get up, brother,” White manages, refusing to look down at the damage; he knows it’s bad, but he’s too afraid to see  _ how _ bad. “I may need your assistance.”

“Holy  _ shit,”  _ Black is rarely one for such foul language, but he makes an exception in this case, the beginnings of empathetic tears forming at the corners of his eyes, which are the size of saucers with his shock. “That’s the worst one yet, White… Dios  _ mío,” _ The darker demon kneels down, and with a gentleness that’s foreign to his attitude, he picks his brother up bridal style, careful not to accidentally knock out anything important from his twin’s chest. “Lucky us that we seem to be immortal, sí? Otherwise I would be expected to bury you.”

“Hush,” White mutters, giving Black a less than amused scowl. “It’s your fault for making me use my horrible powers.”

“They’re not horrible when you learn to use them, mi querido hermano,” Black explains, beginning his trek back to their latest hideout… or rather, to a new one, seeing as the twins foolishly enough practiced outside their cave, and they know better than to stay too close to one of their battlegrounds. “Still, it would be cruel of me to leave you for the buzzards… how about that old cabin, a few miles north? Been abandoned for so long, I’m sure no one will mind if we stay there a few days. I’ve already stashed a few of our things there, including a bundle of your favorite teas. Doesn’t that sound lovely?”

White gives a halfhearted, exhausted smile. He presses his cheek against Black’s shoulder, a few extra tears slipping out and wetting the other demon’s jacket. “That does indeed sound nice… thank you, brother. I only hope the tea will not spill out of my chest!”

Black howls with more laughter than is necessary, which White believes is only meant to cheer him up. “Hahah! Never change, hermano.” He says, although it sounds almost like an order.

“I’ll try not to.” White mutters, that nagging self hatred still making him feel sick and guilty. From over his twin’s shoulder, the paler demon can still see the patches of blue and green blood splattered across the grass, as if a madman decided to turn this spot in the middle of nowhere into his canvas.

White knows, deep down inside, that Black is only forcing him to use his abilities in order to ready him, but… every time he uses them, either someone gets hurt, or the environment is damaged beyond recovery. They got off easy this time, with only White mangled, but the kinder demon can still hear how strained Black’s breathing is, hinting that his ribs may have been damaged by the outburst. White bites his bottom lip to contain a guilt ridden sob, his shoulders shaking with the force of his self loathing. Never again… it doesn’t matter what Black says or does; next time he’s told to practice, White will refuse-  _ he won’t. He says he will, as he always does, but he will not- _ and Black will just have to live with that. Soon enough, White finds himself growing dizzy, leading to him falling asleep in Black’s arms, his restless mind allowed to rest for a short time.

…

It’s been a long, long time since then. While the relationship between White Hat and Black Hat had once been thick as thieves, in good time their differences made them fight, and argue, and hate, until finally the tension broke. His memory of the exact incident that caused their separation is hazy at best, but White Hat recalls the aftermath all too well; by the end of their brawl, they had completely decimated an island, and afterwards had run in different directions. White Hat settled in America, while Black Hat fled to Mexico. Separated, they went about starting their new lives, becoming a superhero and supervillain respectively. They were both doubted from the very beginning, as their familial resemblance was not lost on their peers, but in time, they proved themselves to undeniably be the greatest at their respective occupations, and they still hold those positions, even in retirement.

Ah, yes…  _ retirement. _ Black Hat retired first, on the grounds that it  _ ‘just wasn’t fun anymore’,  _ leaving most of the villain community disorganized and open to attack. White Hat had jumped at the opportunity to demolish the villainous hierarchy, but before he could go about his plan, he was unexpectedly apprehended, dragged to court, and given an ultimatum; either retire like his twin brother, or be incarcerated for the rest of his miserable existence. You see, despite popular opinion, White Hat has always had a rather…  _ nasty  _ temper, something that only ever reeled it’s ugly head after he left Black Hat’s side. Needless to say, with no experience in anger management for himself, and with his powers unable to be restrained anymore (long story), White Hat soon became infamous for his _ ‘villain disposal’  _ as it was nicknamed, making him out to be quite the monster.

In all honesty, White Hat’s just surprised it took so long for the united nations to get involved, but he supposes they were inspired by Black Hat’s retirement and decided to  _ ‘persuade him’ _ into retirement as well. While White Hat had definitely not wanted to cooperate, looking back he’s actually quite glad he agreed (however begrudgingly he did so), as it allowed him to choose what he’d do without the government’s involvement. Needless to say, White Hat left America after that, deciding to reside in Mexico. Even now, he’s unsure what made him want to come here- perhaps to reconnect with his brother? To explore a part of the world he’d rarely if ever visited?- but so far he’s enjoyed it. After settling on where he’d reside, he conjured up a mansion for himself, and has since been living his life in relative solitude.

That is, he  _ was  _ living in solitude. It started with Clementia, the young woman appearing on White Hat’s doorstep bloodied and battered, but her jaw was set and her body shivered not from the rain, but with righteous fury; of course he took her in. Months passed rather quickly, and despite White Hat’s best intentions, he soon found himself falling for his new roommate, something he still struggles with today. It’s not made any easier by how affectionate Clementia is, both with her words and actions, leaving White Hat a blushy, embarrassed mess. But again, this became easier over time, and he’s pretty used to it at this point, with things such as hugs and kisses on the cheek being commonplace… which brings us to the present, with White Hat and Clementia lazing about in the den, reading a book and browsing the internet respectively.

When the doorbell rings, it catches them both by surprise, the duo glancing up from their entertainment with raised eyebrows of confusion. Hardly anyone visits the manor, so to receive a visitor is rather out of character. “Clementia, my love, are you expecting someone?” White Hat asks, looking to Clementia to see if this is her doing.

Clementia shakes her head, just as confused as her roommate. “Nope!” She promises, offering the demon a lopsided, upside down smile, as she’s lying halfway off the couch, her body from the waist up sprawled out on the floor with her legs propped up on the cushions. “Why not check who it is, sweetie? We hardly get any visitors, so it must be important! Unless it’s those awful Jehovah’s Witnesses again…”

White Hat nods, setting his book aside before heading to the front door. He swings it open without much effort, yet he finds himself caught off-guard by who it is on his doorstep. Outside in the pouring rain is an older police officer- wait, scratch that, he’s the sheriff- his hair grey with what can only be work related stress. A few feet behind the sheriff is about four other police officers, all of which are surrounding the puniest little delinquent White Hat’s ever seen. The criminal is clearly just that, as his wrists are chained together with incredibly hardy looking handcuffs, however it’s not those that have White Hat believing the subject in front of him is a force to be reckoned with. No, it’s the thick, leather and metal muzzle strapped around the young man’s head, keeping him quiet as a mouse. Even without the use of his arms and mouth, the criminal glares up at White Hat will all the fury of a disrespected god.

“Evening, White Hat,” The sheriff greets, giving a short bow to the demon. In all honesty, White Hat doesn’t like being bowed to, but seeing as Black Hat’s smited anyone who doesn’t bow to him, well… their brotherhood is too well known not to warrant similar treatment between the two of them. “So sorry to bother you, but… well, we’re in need of some assistance,” The sheriff motions to the officers from over his shoulder, and with great caution they drag the criminal onto the porch, the young man’s clothes drenched in rain, causing a puddle to quickly form below his feet. “If I am correct, I believe you still owe the united nations a favor, yes? Well, this is that favor. You see, this criminal is known as Slug Flys, and he’s been nothing but trouble from the minute he became known as a villain; we can’t even find out his real name!

“He’s been in and out of prison for the last two years, but we simply cannot contain him! We’ve tried everything; max security prisons on remote islands, solitary confinement, military school, the list goes on! The united nations voted to have the boy executed, however many believed that was too extreme a punishment, and the president of our beloved country offered to take him in. Now he asks that you take custody, señor White Hat, as you are well known for your villain rehabilitation. We understand that you’re retired, but we desperately need your help.” The sheriff pushes the criminal- Slug, apparently- to stand in front of him, the young man barely reaching White Hat’s shoulder he’s so small and bony.

The retired hero stares at the young man in front of him, stomach twisting in uneasy, troubled knots. Something about this boy seems… _ off. _ Sure, the chains and muzzle are definitely intended to be intimidating, but White Hat only sees a puny, shivering little boy on his doorstep, wet from the rain and desperate for attention. As for villain rehabilitation, White Hat almost wants to laugh at the notion that he’s any such expert;  _ ‘torture to the point of giving up’ _ is a much better way of putting it. Either way, White Hat still has to deal with this situation… he could always tell them no, as it’s not like they could really force him into doing this- after all, his debts are owed with the united nations,  _ not  _ the mexican government- but… White Hat finds himself  _ drawn  _ to this pitiful little thing, and turning him away just feels  _ wrong  _ somehow.

“Very well,” White Hat says, keeping eye contact with Slug as he speaks. He doesn’t soul gaze- doesn’t trust the boy with that kind of power just yet- but he wants to see how the criminal will react to all of this. “I will agree to take custody of the boy… how old is he again?”

“Twenty years old, at least from what we can gather,” The sheriff explains, eagerly handing White Hat a suitcase and backpack. “Everything you need to know about your new charge is within that suitcase, and his few personal belongings are in his backpack. We advise that you refrain from removing his cuffs until he’s somewhere more contained,” Finally, the sheriff grabs Slug by the shoulder, and almost gently he turns the boy around, forcing him to meet his eyes. “Now listen to me very carefully, young man; this is your last chance, understand? After this, there’s nothing anyone can do for you… don’t waste this opportunity because of your pride.” With that, the sheriff and his men abandon Slug on the doorway, quickly leaving the premises.

Once they’ve driven off, White Hat offers his charge a soft smile, kneeling down to speak to him. “Hello there, little one,” He greets, talking to Slug like he’s a young child. “I know you must be  _ very  _ scared, but rest assured tha-”

The hero is cut off in an instant, as without warning, Slug headbutts White Hat in the face, cracking the demon’s monocle with his muzzle. With White Hat temporarily handicapped, Slug makes a blind run off the porch, running towards the street. Unfortunately for him, Clementia springs on him from a second story window, having been eavesdropping during the conversation from a good vantage point. Slug immediately collapses onto the ground from Clementia’s unexpected weight, a muffled shout of surprise escaping his throat. The criminal lands on his stomach, and fitfully tries to get back up, but Clementia keeps him pinned, not allowing him any wiggle room. The only thing Slug can do is angrily shuffle his feet, his sneakers kicking up sodden dirt and dust.

“Nice to meet you, sweetie~!” Clementia greets, giving Slug a warm, yet threatening grin, not that he can see it from the way he’s positioned. “Welcome to the family!”

Slug tries to say something, but the muzzle is built in such a way that his words are too distorted to be transcribed, although White Hat doesn’t doubt that whatever he’s saying, it’s in no way meant to be kind. Dusting off the glass remains of his monocle and replacing it with a spare from his shirt pocket, White Hat comes to stand beside Clementia, producing an umbrella from thin air to hold above the young woman and her prey. “I see our latest charge is quite mischievous,” The demon comments, gently moving Clementia out of the way. After she’s gotten off, White Hat plucks Slug off the ground by the back of his prison jumpsuit, holding him up with one hand, the other still holding the umbrella over Clementia. “No matter; we’ll have that disciplined out of you in no time.” He continues, trekking back into the manor.

The whole way into the mansion and into his office, White Hat carries Slug like an exhausted kitten, the young man still too disoriented by Clementia’s surprise attack to try and attack his captor again. Clementia splits off at the bottom of the staircase, blowing Slug a kiss before she scampers off with a skip in her step. The unicorn capped girl now off to do her own thing, White Hat secretly lets out a sigh of relief; the last thing he wants is for his roommate and best friend to see him get angry, something he doubts he can avoid if  _ this  _ is the sort of bullshit he can expect from his new _ ‘pet project’. _ Although White Hat’s sworn himself off violence during his retirement, he finds himself on the edge of his patience with rage, irritated by Slug’s behavior. Does this boy really not have  _ any  _ self preservation skills!? How did he intend to break his bindings, should he have gotten away?

Shrugging it off as a mystery, White Hat blinks to open the door to his office, much to the surprise of his young charge, who stills his squirming when the doors open, eyes wide with wonder. White Hat enters without a word, setting Slug down on the floor, focusing in the motion for sitting his prisoner down to close the door behind him, the large hunk of wood clicking shut at the same moment that Slug is put down. This also has the young man intrigued, as he immediately sits up on his knees, only to be pushed back to sitting on his backside by White Hat. The young villain automatically fixes his captor with a truly vicious glare, and were it not for his young appearance, White Hat thinks the kid would actually be a little intimidating. Unfortunately for Slug, he isn’t.

“Easy, little one,” White Hat orders, tone stern yet warm. The demon crouches on the floor in front of his prey, cupping a hand on the back of his neck to keep him still. Slug bites his lower lip on the other side of his muzzle, made nervous by the intimate and intimidating nature of this gesture. “That’s more like it… now then, I’m going to ask you a series of yes or no answers, and you are going to answer them by shaking or nodding your head, understand? If you get snappy with me, we’re going to have a problem,” Gently, White Hat ghosts his thumb over the buckle keeping Slug’s muzzle in place, more to comfort than scare him. “If you cooperate with me, I’ll remove this awful muzzle. Does that sound nice?”

Slug gives a hesitant, slow nod, as he doesn’t wish to antagonize White Hat into choking him. “Very good, son,” White Hat praises, ruffling the boy’s hair in appreciation. “Now then… is your legal name actually Slug Flys?” Slug shakes his head no. “Is there anything else you would like to be called?” Another no. “Are you truly twenty years old?” A slow, hesitant yes; almost like he’s ashamed of how young he is. “I see… you’re quite little, aren’t you? Ignore that; next question. Do you have any medical or mental disabilities I should be made aware of?” When Slug doesn’t answer, preferring to not look at his captor, that worries White Hat. “Well, son? Come now; it’s okay. Just a simple yes or no will suffice.”

Again, Slug isn’t talking, which only goes to irritate White Hat. The demon stands up, his hand on the back of Slug’s neck dragging him to his feet alongside him, the villain growling through the muzzle in response. “You do realize that I’m being  _ very  _ merciful, yes? Such an aspiring young delinquent, I have no doubt that you’ve heard of me, and therefore are aware of what I’ve done to villains even less cooperative than you… why cause such trouble, my boy? And over such a tiny question, too. Now, I am going to remove your muzzle for the sake of discussing this better, but if you so much as raise your hand to me, the muzzle is going right back on and you’ll be imprisoned in a cell overnight. Do you want that?” Slug shakes his head no, subtly trying to squirm away from the demon. White Hat scowls, entirely displeased by his behavior. “Stop that this instant! Are you going to cooperate, or should I just send you to bed right now?”

The villain growls, but nonetheless quits his struggling, going still as he glares up at White Hat, unimpressed by the creature holding him captive. With great restraint, Slug nods, giving his permission for the demon to remove his muzzle, which White Hat does the minute he gets a response. Once the muzzle has been removed and tossed to the side, Slug opens and closes his mouth, getting used to the feeling of having his mouth free again. Slowly, he meets White Hat’s gaze, that glare still prevalent and toxic; it sends a loose shiver down the superhero’s spine, especially since he can now see the scowl that accompanies his expression. Goddamn, the boy looks so much like Black Hat will glaring at him… it’s so nostalgic, it almost makes White Hat want to vomit, but he refrains from doing so, choosing instead to let go of Slug’s neck as an act of kindness, as well as to give the kid less of a reason to be angry.

“… So,” Slug’s voice is quieter and less youthful than White Hat expected, but the villain is still very obviously young, both with his psyche and overall attitude. “You’re the world renowned White Hat? I expected someone a lot less…” He looks the demon up and down, trying and failing not to appear uncomfortable. “…  _ Eccentric.”  _ That seems to be the best he can do, as anything else probably would’ve been an insult.

“And  _ I  _ expected  _ you  _ to be a lot less  _ rude,  _ so I suppose we’ll both have to live with being disappointed,” White Hat murmurs, looking Slug up and down with a half hearted smile on his face. “You’re such a tiny thing… makes me wonder what brought you to this point. Another villain making you fall on the sword for them? A childhood gone wrong? You may intend to come off as aggressive and angry, but I can see right through you, Slug Flys,” He crowds Slug as well as he can, the boy too stubborn to let himself be backed into a corner. “I can see that you’re scared, and stubborn, and oh so desperate for a little affection. I’m happy to inform you that you will receive all the attention you crave while under my roof, so long as you obey my orders and act chivalrously towards anyone within this house. Given a few months, I believe I can mold you into the most respectful, honest, and truthful superhero this world has ever seen… what do you have to say to  _ that, _ Mr. Flys?”

Slug pushes his chest against White Hat’s in an attempt to be intimidating, but he just looks like a housecat looking to be pet. “First of all, it’s  _ ‘Doctor Flys’;  _ I didn’t get a doctorate for nothing. Second, you’re a  _ fool  _ if you think that a few months of cuddling is going to change who I am. I’m a villain, through and through, and there’s nothing a cape like you can do about it! All you capes are the same- fuckin’ crooked- and I refuse to become like you. Mark my words  _ Mr. _ White Hat,” He says this with such conviction… such an angry, righteous soul. If only that fury and demand for correction were harnessed in a more productive way. “If you don’t release me _ this instant, _ I swear on everything and everyone you hold dear, I  _ will  _ make the rest of your life a living,  _ breathing  _ hell. Do you want to know why I’m impossible to break?” He leans up on his tiptoes, getting as close to White Hat’s face as he can. “Because I have nothing to lose.”

White Hat stares at the young man in front of him. A moment later, he can’t take it anymore, and he bends forward with his laughter, unable to resist. This gets an actual snarl out of Slug, who moves to bite/headbutt the demon, only to be stopped by a series of long, glowing vines, which wrap gently yet securely around the villain. Slug kicks and screams, trying his hardest to escape, but it’s no use; he’s helpless. Once done laughing his heart out, White Hat straightens, giving his captive a shit-eating grin that refuses to go away. With Slug momentarily trapped, the superhero paces around his prey, using the vines to move the boy this way and that, looking him over for anything unexpected. To White Hat’s thankfulness, he doesn’t find any shivs or weapons, so at least there’s nothing immediately dangerous that the boy can do to try and hurt him (not that any mortal weapon would do much damage).

“You really  _ are  _ such a delinquent,” White Hat comments, nonchalantly turning Slug upside down, holding the boy high enough to look him in the eyes. “But as I’ve said before, I intend to change that terrible attitude of yours for the better… even if I have to work from the ground up,” In one swift motion, the demon slams Slug to the ground; hard enough to hurt, but not to bruise. He comes to stand over the young villain, propping a foot up on the boy’s chest, further trapping him. “Act as tough and angry as you want, little boy- pitch a fit for all I care- but no matter what you say or do, you will not be leaving this manor until I deem you ready to rejoin society. Now it’s  _ my turn  _ to share a secret; do you want to know why this mansion, of all places, will be the one place you can’t escape from?” He kneels down on the floor, taking Slug by the chin to force him into making eye contact. “Because, my dear little delinquent… this isn’t a prison; this is a home. Stubborn, unyielding love will be the thing to change you.”

“Y-Yeah,” Slug mutters, voice coming out a bit choppy thanks to the tendrils squeezing his frame. “‘Cus I’m  _ absolutely  _ gonna start calling you daddy after you beat me.”

“I have no intention of beating you, son.” White Hat promises, his smile genuine yet mischievous in nature.

“Oh yeah? Then what the  _ fuck  _ are you gonna do to me, old man?” Slug asks, all swagger and no fear; he really is a bit of a masochist, isn’t he?

White Hat tilts his head, finally showing his dull blue teeth to the boy through a vicious grin that sends a shiver down Slug’s spine. “If you act out, I’ll just put you over my knee and spank you.” He deadpans, tone completely serious.


	2. bitter bastard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White Hat is nothing if not determined to make an impression on Slug... and let's just agree, he definitely makes his point. Slug, in the meantime, struggles to understand his new "guardian", causing tension to rise between the duo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Before we get started, I just wanted to let you all know that I finally finished the Flug & Slug playlist on 8tracks! You can find the link on the series page, so check it out if you want to! As usual, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and feel free to ask any questions once you’re done reading. Love you all!

“Um… care to repeat that?” Slug asks, fairly certain that his brain temporarily short circuited; the world-renowned, infamously vicious superhero known only as White Hat did  _ not  _ just say what Slug thinks he said… right?

“You heard me, young man.” White Hat says, firm on the matter. His stare in unrelenting, as if he’s staring straight through Slug’s soul.

But… he didn’t?  _ Surely  _ Slug heard him wrong; or White Hat’s bluffing. Either way, Slug doesn’t believe he understands the situation, as what is being said just doesn’t add up in any way that could be considered reasonable. There is no conceivable way that White Hat- the same bastard hero that put Professor Galaxy in a wheelchair, traumatized the Jester Sisters, and nearly vaporized Hidden Halbert- just threatened to spank Slug Flys. No, it’s not possible! It  _ can’t be!  _ Slug knows he’s a young villain- he’s been told so countless times by people who think they have him figured out- but he’s not so young that a spanking should even be  _ considered!  _ Besides, Slug’s fairly certain that although he wasn’t spanked as a child that spanking in and of itself is a rather abusive punishment, and really, what’s the point? Either way, it’s still violence.

“You can’t be serious,” Slug tries to act just as stubborn as the superhero in front of him, though he has a sneaking suspicion that White Hat isn’t taking him very seriously. “Even if you  _ did _ just threaten to spank me- which,  _ please  _ for the love of God tell me I hallucinated that- spanking is still hitting me, dumbass. I thought you were going around pretending to be a pacifist; seems a bit counterproductive to break your promise in such a dumb way. At least be creative! Waterboarding would so much more effective… or strangling; pick your poison.” In reality, it’s probably a really stupid idea to be giving White Hat suggestions, but Slug Flys is nothing if not prone to back-sass and digging himself deeper holes to die in.

“I can’t say I agree,” White Hat crosses his arms, looking the boy up and down, as if he’s trying to find something. “Now then, I think you need an example of what you should expect, should you misbehave. No need to fret- it won’t be an especially hard spanking- but you need a frame of reference, should you be tempted to act out.” He takes a step forward, reaching for the delinquent.

“Hey, whoa whoa _ whoa!”  _ Slug shouts, backpedaling away from White Hat’s outstretched hand. His eyes widen as the threat finally sinks in, the realization that this cape is legitimately planning on spanking him washing over the man like a waterfall of dread. “What the  _ fuck, _ man!? Back the hell off!”

“I’m not going to do that, Slug. You need this, whether you like it or not. Perhaps a few minutes over my knee will teach you to stop with that incessant cursing!” White Hat isn’t in the mood to deal with any of this kid’s bullshit, quickly snatching Slug by the arm. “Let’s get this terrible jumpsuit off of you first.” He suggests, beginning to unzip the jumper.

With Slug’s wrists still cuffed together, there isn’t much he can do to stop the superhero, other than maybe falling to the floor and kicking him, but Slug isn’t so desperate that he’d risk bruising his ego… at least for the moment. “Get your hands off of me, you fucking pervert!” Slug screeches, doing his best to try and yank himself out from the superhero’s grasp.

White Hat pauses. He catches Slug by the chin, forcing the villain to meet his gaze as he speaks. “You do  _ not  _ call someone that without good reason, young man. Rape is a  _ very  _ serious crime, and I will not stand for you making light of it. I’m not going to assault you, Slug; I’m going to spank you. Those are two very different things.” The demon let’s go once he’s done, returning to tugging Slug’s oversized jumpsuit off. The hero blinks, and suddenly, Slug’s only in a t-shirt and boxers, as the jumper would’ve been impossible to take off without first removing the boy’s handcuffs.

“I’m still not consenting, asshole!” Slug insists, blushing in response to how little clothing he has on. Deep down, however, he’s secretly glad to be back in civilian clothes; prison jumpsuits are so scratchy and uncomfortable, even just a t-shirt and underwear is preferable to wearing that stupid orange onesie.

“Enough of that!” White Hat snaps, holding Slug by the back of his t-shirt. “I am  _ done _ listening to you screech and swear, young man! It’s about time someone took you in hand!” That said, the hero all but drags Slug to his desk, taking a seat in the chair behind it before forcing the young villain to lie across his lap, backside propped up by the hero's knee. “Is there anything you’d like to say for yourself before we begin?” He asks, just to test and see if this change in positions will convince Slug to apologize prematurely.

“Kiss my ass.” Slug quips, not the least bit cooperative, even with his backside in immediate danger.

White Hat sighs, and just like that, he begins slapping his hand down on the boy’s partially covered backside. Slug, in the meantime, grits his teeth at the stinging pain as it blossoms, but otherwise he refuses to make a sound, resolute in his decision to keep quiet. There’s no way in  _ hell  _ that Slug is going to do anything that might please this sick bastard, and he assumes crying would do just that. From the perspective of a villain, White Hat is the epitome of everything that supervillains hate about the superhero movement; they’re self-righteous, conceited, violent, spoiled, corrupt, and all around have the most sabotaged morals, which they’re willing to skew at the drop of a hat if a wad of cash is waved in their face. Although Slug hasn’t seen White Hat in action, he has no doubt that this guy follows the same pattern; it’s in his  _ nature. _

When the spanking picks up in speed and strength, Slug finds himself wincing, resisting the urge to kick his feet in response. Out of desperation, he grabs hold of one of the chair legs, silently begging an unnamed God that White Hat will stop soon. It’s not like it hurts or anything- whoever said so is a liar- but it’s certainly a waste of time! Yeah, that’s it! Slug squeezes his eyes shut, head ducked low as the steady  _ ‘whap whap whap’ _ of White Hat's palm refuses to slow, further driving the villain to a quiet madness. This is fucking  _ unbearable!  _ Slug’s had worse, sure, but at least getting shot or beaten only takes a few seconds; this is just torture! Without his permission, Slug taps his toes against the floor, desperate to find some hollow form of relief from the pain. Just as the boy is ready to start shouting profanities, the spanking abruptly ends.

Swiftly, White Hat forces Slug up, standing the boy back on his own two feet. “And that, my dear boy, was a mere warm up,” White Hat explains, and although he’s threatening Slug, there’s an unrelenting softness to his tone that has the delinquent's face heating up. “Should you dare to step out of line in a more serious manner, you won’t have the privilege of keeping your boxers on,” And just when Slug thinks he’s about to be excused… White Hat stands up and hugs the boy to his chest in a tight squeeze. “I truly don’t wish to harm you, my boy… but I will if I must.”

There’s something so inherently  _ weird  _ about this… it has Slug shivering, even when the embrace itself is warm. He squirms, but White Hat doesn’t loosen up at all. “Um… I’m okay now, man. You can let go,” Slug assures, hoping a verbal reaction will convince his captor to let go. “Come on, man, what the heck  _ is  _ this? I’m _ fine!” _ He raises his voice now, continuing to fidget in the embrace.

White Hat gives him an additional swat, and although it’s not done with much force, Slug still hisses under his breath, his backside sore enough that even the slightest of pressures has him wincing in pain. “Enough of your fussing, my boy… you can give up on that little  _ ‘tough guy’ _ act you’ve got going; it’s perfectly alright to be vulnerable in front of me.”

“I don’t trust that easily.” Slug deadpans, not pulling any punches. Although he secretly preferred getting his ass tanned to get beheaded, he can’t say he appreciates this  _ ‘touchy feely’ _ bullshit White Hat is trying to shove down his throat in the aftermath.

“Perhaps someday you will… we’ve plenty of time to break down those walls, my little curiosity,” White Hat assures. Even though it’s not  _ meant _ to be threatening, the thought of being trapped in this place has Slug more than a little anxious. The superhero soon eases up, leaning back from Slug with his hands clasped on the boy’s shoulders to keep him where he is. “Are you hungry? You’re as thin as a twig, and I doubt you’ve had a decent meal in months,” He traces his hands over Slug’s handcuffs, examining them with an appraiser's eye. “I suppose that I would have to remove your handcuffs though first if you want to eat… so how about we take a moment to practice your manners, my boy? Now, if you want these off, repeat after me;  _ ‘may I please have my handcuffs off sir?’. _ If you can say that without any back-sass or cursing, I’ll remove them.”

Slug huffs, tempted to begin threatening to murder White Hat’s nonexistent mother, but he pauses, considering his options. It’s clear that White Hat is the most powerful enforcer of the law that Slug has ever dealt with, and even if all he’s received punishment wise so far is a spanking, he has no doubt that this beast of a creature can end his life within a millisecond; he's grown up seeing too many hero vs villain fights on TV to not see through the demon's nice guy act. While Slug loves nothing more than to antagonize his opponents until they either give up or wear themselves out, he’s going to have to play a longer game with this one. Slug considers the being in front of him, looking the demon up and down, trying to spot whatever makes the man tick. He’s got a fiery temper like his infamous brother, that much is obvious, but he’s got an annoyingly firm handle on it… enough very careful prodding and he’ll explode like a bomb, and once he’s done throwing his little fit, Slug can take him out and escape this hellhole.

He just has to figure out how to light the fuse first.

Snapping out of it, Slug let’s out a long, leveled sigh. It’s so tempting to be difficult and sassy… but this cape is too good at pretending to be calm for backtalk to get him anywhere. So, swallowing his pride, Slug very carefully holds up his cuffed wrists to White Hat, refusing to attempt doe eyes or anything resembling emotional compliance. “May I please have my handcuffs off, sir?” Slug requests in the most  _ ‘people pleaser’ _ voice he can manage, having perfected fake submission as a child.

White Hat beams at his charge, appearing to believe Slug’s lie. “You see? Being polite isn’t that hard, my boy. And you do such a good job of it, too! Such a little gentleman,” He dutifully begins unlocking the handcuffs, allowing them to fall to the floor with an audible clang. “All better!” He cheers once they're off, grinning wholeheartedly at the young villain. “Are you ready to come eat lunch, sweetie?” He asks, and if he had dared to crouch down to be at Slug’s level again, no amount of self restraint would have kept Slug from clocking him.

_ “Run run run run run,” _ Slug’s mind begins chanting, feverish and desperate for release from this prison. But Slug hushes those thoughts, refusing to give into impulse as he rubs his aching wrists, thankful at the very least that he's finally free of the metal cuffs. “Yes, sir.” He says, answering White Hat’s question in order to stay in the demon’s good graces.

“There’s a good boy,” White Hat smiles, a gentle hand pressed between Slug’s shoulder blades as he leads the villain towards the door of his study. “But first, we really should get you dressed in something a little more…  _ appropriate. _ I doubt you're very comfortable in such little clothing, and I've plenty of spare outfits that I'm sure will fit you! They'll be a tad large on you, but at least the clothes will fit!”

Slug fights down a blush, looking away with no small amount of embarrassment. “Yes, that would be… very nice, sir.” He mutters, hating how warm his face feels.

White Hat chuckles, shaking his head at the sight. “Hahaha… oh, I’m going to enjoy having you here, my boy. Seems like you’ll be a rather…  _ interesting  _ addition to our little family.”

Slug doesn’t respond to that, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. He refuses to see this weird-ass superhero as his new _ ‘family’;  _ in his experience, family is nothing but trouble, at least in the case of parents. Fathers are always violent and hateful, both in their words and actions, while mothers are always conceited and selfish, doing whatever they want to their children, no matter how terrible or abusive it may be. It doesn’t matter what White Hat says or does; Slug refuses to accept this man as anything other than another violent enforcer of the law, who he’ll be made to trick and defeat in order to win back his beloved freedom. Who cares if Slug doesn’t have anywhere to go if/when he escapes? Who cares that Slug’s never once felt safe in his entire fucking life? Who cares if Slug is attention and touch starved to the point of apathy?

Nothing is ever going to fix what happened to Slug, and how it’s shaped him as a person… and he doubts this crackpot of a cape is going to change that anytime soon.

…

“And this, my dear boy, is where you’ll be sleeping for the foreseeable future,” White Hat explains, opening the door for Slug and turning on the lights with a blink. “I know it isn’t much, as this was only a guest bedroom before now, but if you continue to behave, I’ll get you some personal items. What do you think, my dear?”

“It’s…” Slug looks around, head on a swivel as he examines his new bedroom. “A  _ lot _ different than I expected.”

That it is. Where Slug had expected a dungeon-like cell in the basement, where he’d shiver and cry in the dead of night, he finds a luxurious bedroom, decked out with dark blue sheets and pillows on the bed, the walls a fine, crisp white that has Slug shivering with the memory of snow. Is… is this for real? Slug has to bite his bottom lip to keep from gaping, simultaneously flattered and distrustful of his new accommodations. There has to be a catch, right? Is there a cage built under the bed for when Slug isn’t being agreeable? Are the vents rigged to release noxious gas should Slug get out of hand? Are there cameras, voice recorders, and spy gadgets scattered about the bedroom, acting as a means of collecting blackmail/keeping tabs on Slug? Needless to say, Slug is more than a little overwhelmed by White Hat’s generosity in gifting him this bedroom, and is therefore inclined to be suspicious.

“I… I don’t get it,” Slug finally admits, unable to stand the silence as he looks up at White Hat for answers. “What’s the catch? This whole room rigged? There’s no way in hell you’d actually give me a room this nice without you getting something out of it. So what you want, big guy? A slave? Sex?”

White Hat just… he has the  _ saddest _ look on his face, head tilted, as he he stares down at Slug, as if he can’t possibly stand how pitifully distrustful the young villain in front of him is of this genuinely kind gesture. “Oh, Slug… there’s no catch,” He assures, voice soft like silk, and warm like a blanket fresh out of the dryer. “I want you to be comfortable while we go through your rehabilitation… there’s no need to worry, my sweet boy. You understand that I was bluffing earlier when I threatened to lock you away, right? You may be a delinquent, but even criminals need a little comfort, especially if we want them to be rehabilitated properly.”

Slug looks away, feeling uneasy and sick to his stomach. No way is it that easy; the room has to be bugged. As much as Slug wants to search the room for cameras, that will have to wait… for now, he’ll continue playing this game. “Thank you very much for such…  _ generous  _ accommodations, sir.” He manages, hoping that’s what White Hat wants to hear.

White Hat offers up a shy smile, but he’s still obviously uncomfortable after hearing how unnerved Slug is. “Of course, my boy… you should get dressed; I’ll be right outside if you need me,” He makes to exits the room, before pausing in the doorway, his expression shifting from guilty to stern in a heartbeat. “I trust that you will not begin destroying things the minute I close this door, yes? Because while you will not be locked in a cell, I’ve no reservations against turning you over my knee a second time today.”

Slug gulps, subconsciously covering his backside with his hands; he’s still so sore, another spanking would most certainly trigger him to cry, and frankly, he isn’t in the right place to go through that sort of drama right now. “I-I won’t, sir,” Slug promises, internally kicking himself for stuttering; it makes him sound like his little brother! “I wouldn’t do something like that without good reason.”

There’s a long, drawn out pause, where White Hat seems to be accessing Slug, trying to look through him and check to see if he’s bluffing… it ends with the demon shutting the door, apparently deciding that Slug is trustworthy enough to be left alone, at least for a few minutes. The second the door clicks shut, Slug let’s out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, his shoulders going slack with sudden ease. The villain takes a minute or so to relax, feeling better now that he’s unsupervised for the first time in months… he hesitates, giving the room a quick once over. Then again, there’s still the high possibility of cameras. Aware that he has a few minutes to spare, Slug simultaneously searches the wardrobe and dresser for clothes while secretly snooping for any spy tech that might be hidden within the bedroom.

By the time Slug’s gathered a reasonable enough outfit, he’s yet to find a single camera, something that irks him for some reason. He knows he really oughta be happy to have not found anything- after all, it’s impossible to hide tech from a guy like Slug Flys- but some paranoid, skittish part of his brain refuses to let it go, convinced that the cameras are just  _ really _ well hidden. Unable to find anything, and fearful of White Hat’s temper should he be kept waiting too long, Slug temporarily gives up his search, taking a break until he’s given more time to look. Fitfully, he pulls on the selected clothing, unable to contain a minuscule smirk once he’s pulled on the red turtleneck he found. It’s been horrendously long since he’s worn such a comfort item, he can’t help but feel warm and somewhat content wearing it.

A knock at the door has Slug damn near jumping out of his skin, the villain startled by the sudden noise. “Slug? Are you alright in there, my boy? You’re taking an awful long time…” White Hat observes, his tone equal parts concerned as it is cautious. “I swear, if you snuck a weapon of any kind in there, we’re going to have a  _ major  _ problem, young man.”

Slug refuses to gulp, forcefully steadying himself in an attempt to appear intimidating and calm. “I’m fine, sir,” He assures through the closed door, thankful that his voice managed to not stutter again. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Upon getting no response, the villain shrugs, continuing to get dressed. With his sweater now on, he tugs on a pair of sweatpants. It’s clear he’s not leaving this mansion anytime soon, so he’s not going to bother with wearing a pair of uncomfortable, stiff jeans. Besides, all the jeans in here are just a bit too big on him, and Slug would rather avoid wearing a belt, considering White Hat’s…  _ unique _ form of discipline; he’s not going to inadvertently tease the guy with an implement. Fully decked out in civilian clothing, Slug forces down the urge to grin, as he wants to appear professional and adult in front of White Hat… the  _ last _ thing he needs is to be age-sliding just because he’s in normal clothing again. With one last once-over of the bedroom that’s now apparently his, Slug swallows his pride and knocks on the door.

“I’m done now, sir,” Slug explains, feeling akin to a child that’s just gotten dressed for school all by himself, and now needs his dad to make sure that what he’s wearing is appropriate and on correctly. That thought has Slug feeling sick to his stomach, shocked that he even  _ imagined  _ such a scenario. “May I, um… may I please come out now?” He forces himself to speak again, even if it isn’t strictly necessary, if only to chase away the troubling daydream.

“Let’s see how you look first,” White Hat says, opening the door from the other side. His words only go to remind Slug of the weird daydream, causing a bright blush to overtake his face as the demon opens the door, something the hero takes notice of right away. “Slug… are you alright? Your face is bright red. You haven't caught a cold, have you? You look warm enough to start a campfire.” White Hat points out, sounding almost… concerned? Really? Shouldn’t he be getting a kick out of Slug’s misery or something?

“I-I’m fine,” Slug lies, continuing to blush and now fidget, as he’s secretly paranoid that White Hat will somehow figure out what he was thinking about. “I-Is this, um… appropriate, sir?”

White Hat offers Slug a small, genuine smile. “You look like a fine young man, just as I imagined you would,” The demon confesses, and for a moment, Slug worries that his tone hints at romantic subtext, but one look in the hero’s eyes says it all; he’s equal parts amused as he is… what is that? It can’t be pride… could it? But how? Why? “Now then, how about we make sure you act like one as well; are you still hungry?” Thankfully, the superhero moves on, not voicing whatever is really on his mind to his newfound ward.

Slug gives a halfhearted shrug, uncomfortable and admittedly a tad nervous. “Sure,” He offers, unsure how to get rid of this weird feeling in his chest. “I could use some food, sir. I, uh… thank you. For your kindness.”

“Anything for you, son,” White Hat says. The room goes deathly quiet, both the hero and villain shocked by the word choice, before the hero feverishly attempts to defuse the situation. “So, um… what are you hungry for?”

“Anything that isn’t gruel… or pureed,” Slug decides, desperate to assist in moving the conversation along; he’s going to pretend he didn’t hear that. “I’m really not in the mood to get my food through my anus, sir.”

White Hat chuckles, amused by the crude humor. “I won’t count that as a curse word, but let’s try not to make a habit of saying it, alright?” He suggests, moving to open the door wider so Slug can get through and walk in front of him, likely so the demon can keep an eye on his young charge. “How about a sandwich? It is lunch time after all, and I plan on making something nicer for dinner, seeing as we have a new addition to our little family.”

Slug can’t help but stiffen, his discomfort through the roof. “We’re not a family; I literally got here less than two hours ago,” Slug deadpans, unimpressed with White Hat’s attempts at playing  _ ‘house’  _ with what Slug imagines to be pets in the demon’s eyes. “I understand that you think you’re going to change me. It’s a fruitless endeavour, but I sort of get it; you think you can fix anything if you try hard enough. So I’m gonna rip this band-aid off now before you get your hopes up,” He steps closer, getting up on his tiptoes to look the superhero in the eyes. “I am  _ not _ going to play house with you, White Hat. Sure, I can be polite- I can be a good little boy for as long as I need to be- but no amount of hugs or kisses without my consent will turn me into the plaything you want me to be.”

White Hat just…  _ stares  _ at Slug, brow creased as he tries to mentally disassemble the character in front of him, but Slug refuses to let it be that simple; he can’t be dissected within a lifetime, much less two hours, and he’s not willing to give anything up without extreme force, and even  _ then _ he’ll find a way to be difficult about it! For a long moment, the two of them just stare each other down, trying to figure the other out to the best of their ability. For seemingly no apparent reason, Slug soon feels his eyes beginning to tear up, as if the mere act of holding eye contact with White Hat is harming his irises. He blinks, feeling really,  _ really  _ weird. What… what  _ was  _ that? Nothing happened- not that Slug can tell, at least- but he suddenly finds himself feeling light headed and sick, as if some animal tried to claw it’s way into his body but couldn’t. Is this White Hat’s doing?

“You should rest,” White Hat says, something in his body language drastically changing, tone just on the cusp of frantic. He takes Slug by the wrist, angling him towards the bed. “Go on now, my boy; take a quick nap. You must be so tired, and I’m sure you’ve been eager to sleep in a real bed. I’ll bring you lunch, alright? What do you want on your sandwich?”

“White Hat-” Slug tries to protest, confused by this sudden shift in his captor’s behavior. What’s going on? Was White Hat trying to use some unknown power on him? Mind control?

“-You need a nap,” White Hat repeats, forcefully tucking Slug into the large, king size bed. He tucks the boy in rather tightly, as if to keep him contained. Slug has a feeling that’s not far from the truth. “Do you like peanut butter and jelly? You look like you’d love that. How about some juice? We don’t have a lot of drink choices, but we do have apple juice and water.”

“Sir,  _ please-” _ Slug tries again, not quite panicked, but he’s so unbelievably  _ confused _ by everything that’s happening right now that it's making him nervous. What did he say wrong? Yes, he sought out a reaction from White Hat, but he  _ never  _ expected to be put to bed like a fussy toddler!

“-You want a surprise? Alright, that shouldn’t be a problem. Peanut butter and jelly with apple juice it is,” White Hat decides, continuing to ignore Slug’s questions. With the villain properly tucked in, the demon makes for the door, stopping in the doorway to address his charge one last time before he leaves. “Be good and stay in bed, alright? Consider this a test. If you pass, I’ll grant you more privileges in the very near future. If you don’t… well, let’s just say you’re going over my knee for round two.” With that, he shuts and locks the door, shrouding Slug in total darkness.

Slug lays there in shock, incapable of understanding what just happened. Why did White Hat react like that? Was it truly something Slug said, or did it have something to do with their standoff? Does White Hat think he somehow made Slug cry? The villain sulks, unsure if he should be angry or relieved by all of this; angry because he just got put down for a nap, or relieved that he’s been given an opportunity to search his new bedroom some more. Slug fidgets underneath the covers of his bed, contemplating his next move. Like White Hat said, this is a test, and getting out of bed will cause him to fail. He could always try and remake it after he searches the room, but White Hat will probably notice the difference in styles, making that a risky choice. What kind of privileges will Slug get if he stays here? Something even better than a nice bedroom?

Speaking of which… damn, this bed is just  _ heavenly! _ Slug let’s out an embarrassingly content sigh, sinking into the mattress a little. It’s been so long since he’s slept in such a nice, clean, comfortable bed… come to think of it, Slug doesn’t remember his bed back home being even  _ close _ to this lovely! It certainly wouldn’t hurt if he just rested his eyes for a few minutes, right? After all, Slug is indeed exhausted, as the last several days have been an absolute whirlwind. From escaping his last prison sentence- imprisoned on an island, where he nearly drowned, like, three times while escaping- getting caught by the police, being tried and nearly executed in front of the United Nation’s supreme court, taken into custody by the Mexican government, inadvertently gifted to none other than White Hat, and then being spanked by said superhero… yeah, Slug can honestly admit that he’s in desperate need of some proper sleep.

Burying his face in his new pillow, Slug quickly drifts off to sleep, momentarily given a reprieve from the emotional rollercoaster that is his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyy, chapter 2 is finally out! Still a bit slow, but we’re making progress (and steadily hinting at White Hat and Slug’s issues with each other/themselves). Next chapter I hope to get Slug and Clementia introduced to each other (which should be interested, to say the last) as well as get into how White Hat is handling all of this bullshit. See you all then, and thanks again for reading! Stay safe out there!


	3. anything but restrained

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long, y'all! I was having a lot of trouble trying to figure out what would happen this chapter, but I think it came out the way I wanted it to. Besides, it's the next few chapters that I'm REALLY excited to write! Hope you all enjoy this!

The kitchen is unbearably quiet, the only sounds being White Hat’s shaky breathing and the plastic crumble of a container as he fumbles through the refrigerator for sandwich ingredients. With trembling hands, White Hat forces himself to shove a few slices of lunch meat into his mouth, as he wants something in his system to steady himself. Despite it only having been two or so hours since Slug Flys was delivered to his doorstep, White Hat finds himself feeling so unbelievably…  _ drowned. _ There’s no other way that he can describe this feeling in his body; drowning and empty, trying to escape to the surface of some dark, desolate ocean, but he’s so far down that he can’t figure out which way is up. So he’s stuck, suspended underwater until someone can pull him ashore… in the meantime, White Hat does his best to mentally work through what in the hell is happening.

Choosing to take in Slug has been an unwise decision so far, to put it mildly. White Hat isn’t even sure what came over him-  _ a sense of longing, of hope, of seeing something so very familiar yet foreign in the boy’s eyes, and ever the explorer, White Hat longs to understand the strange specimen presented to him-  _ but in any case, it’s led to more or less temporarily adopting the young delinquent, the boy currently locked away in an old guest bedroom. Come to think of it, White Hat doesn’t remember that room ever being used by any house guests… unfortunately, White Hat has never been particularly great at socializing, especially after he snapped that first time… the demon shudders, trying to stop himself from remembering, but like an elderly elephant, he can do everything but forget.

_ The year is… no one gives a damn! White Hat is younger, in this memory- around twenty-four or twenty-five by demon standards- and he finds himself shaking and wheezing, faced with something so much stronger than he expected. He can recall the name with ease, as well as the location; Bogdan and His Trembling Voice- a villain infamous both for his charity and his cruelty- standing proud among the rubble of a police station. According to reports, Bogdan was recently taken here after being arrested… seems the man didn’t take kindly to this turn of events, and he lashed out as a result. White Hat has seen this man’s kind before, and so it was an absolute shock when, instead of easily being able to grab and restrain the villain, White Hat found himself being launched through several walls by the sound of a loud, booming voice. _

_ The demon forces himself to sit up off the floor, head pounding as his vision blurs and steadies, unable to shake off his initial disorientation. “Hahaha!” Bogdan’s laugh is just as loud as his yodeling, but considering the fact that White Hat’s a good distance from him, it’s doesn’t launch him like it did last time… though it still triggers a massive headache. “My my, White Hat… you are not as formidable as one might have expected,” The villain monologues, beginning to step closer to the demon. His loyal pack of wolves follow him, prowling as a pack around their master. “To be quite honest, I expected an actual fight, not… not this  _ dancing. _ You are truly a most pitiful specifimen, one which I have the unfortunate duty of exterminating.” _

_ “Such a… talker,” White Hat wheezes, standing up on shaky legs with all the hesitation and strain of a newborn horse. “You villainous types so do love your monologues, don’t you?” _

_ “What can I say?” Bogdan shrugs, treating this as a casual pastime, like golf or knitting. “I do indeed love a little dramatic flare… our world is such an inescapable, aggressive bore. Why shouldn’t I have a little fun? Earn a few laughs? I am here to correct the world order, White Hat, and I advise you to do the same. However, I do not expect you to agree with me,” The villain is only a few feet in front of the hero at this point, his pack of wolves surrounding White Hat, ready to strike and rip into the demon’s pale flesh. “I understand you have an opposite; Black Hat. Now that man, if he even is one… now  _ he _ is a true visionary! He sees through society’s lies and deception! Sure, he does not have the exact same goals as I, but I believe we could compromise under certain circumstances. If only you were more like your dear brother… maybe then there would be hope for a bastard such as yourself.” _

_ White Hat stiffens the minute Bogdan mentions his twin, and only gets more uncomfortable as the villain sings his praise. “I don’t see how you can like my brother,” He eventually gathers up the courage to respond, as before he was focusing all his energy into not attacking the criminal in front of him. “Don’t you realize that all he cares about is himself? I’ve known him since the dawn of man, and he has always been this way; selfish and cowardly. How can you imagine working with someone like that? How can you trust someone so dishonest?” _

_ Bogdan pauses, looking White Hat over with an appraiser's eyes, before he smirks, kneeling down and taking the demon by the chin, angling his face to look him in the eyes. “It’s funny… everything you said sums you up quite perfectly,” He points out, watching White Hat’s face for a reaction. “You claim to be this righteous, beautiful being… but we as a society can see through your lies; even your little caped crusader friends hate you. You are aware of this, yes? Such a sad, miserable thing you are, White Hat… I almost pity you. You may think me an obvious fool, but I am not so naive as to not see what both you and your brother are… you are monsters, but unlike you, I believe Black Hat is manageable. You, my friend, are the least adaptable type of monster there is, and because of that… there really is no hope for something like you." _

_ Somewhere in there… White Hat feels a haziness overcome his senses. Everything blurs, and the minute Bogdan’s mouth shuts- either to breathe or to stop, White Hat isn’t really sure- the demon reaches a hand up, feigning weakness. The second his hand is close enough, White Hat lunges forward, his left hand shifting into something unnamed; it doesn’t matter what it’s called, so long as it’s sharp enough to get the job done. His right hand pressed over Bogdan’s mouth to keep him quiet, White Hat uses his machete-like left hand to bury itself in the villain’s right leg, crushing through the man’s kneecap like a soda can. The wolves, in the meantime, attack White Hat in a frenzy, unsure of what else to do upon hearing their master’s muffled screams. They’re not much of a problem, as thick, ethereal vines sprout from the demon’s back, coming to whip and cut the canines with all the ease and discipline of a ringmaster. _

_ Bogdan gives up any attempts at remaining calm, flailing as hard and loud as he possibly can, but White Hat doesn’t let up, plunging his claw deeper, deeper, and deeper still, until he exits out the other side, successfully slashing through Bogdan’s kneecap. The rest is a blur of red and blue lights, screaming from somewhere up above, and saliva covering White Hat’s right palm. Eventually he seems to come back to himself, and by the time White Hat gets off, he realizes the true extent of his meltdown. Scattered around him are the corpses of wolves, the few still alive barely living up to that claim, their whimpers tortured and juvenile. Bogdan, predictably, is much worse off; the villain is unconscious- either due to the blood loss or trauma- his right leg severed from halfway down the man’s kneecap, the amputation messy and blatantly unnecessary. _

_ In a panic, White Hat lurches to his feet, backing off several paces to get away from his victim. Medics and police swarm in, looking over Bogdan and his pets. In the midst of the chaos, White Hat takes to the sky, no longer capable of looking at what he’s done. The minute he’s out of the rubble, he can hear a crowd of bystanders begin to shout at him- whether or not they’re angry is unclear- but he ignores their cries, retreating instead to the tallest building he can find, landing on it’s roof in order to give himself some privacy. Alone, White Hat let’s out a long, exhausted sigh of relief. Finally, he has some space to think… slowly, the hero lies down on the roof, ignoring the fridgidness of the December air even as a gust of wind bellows past him, chilling the demon to the bone. After a long, long time of lying down and resting his eyes, White Hat pulls out his phone, hesitating before he turns on the news. _

_ “Hello everyone, and welcome to WOLF NEWS,” A reporter greets, his tone grave despite typically being a more cheerful broadcaster. “We interrupt your regularly scheduled news to bring you an emergency announcement; at exactly 8:33 PM tonight in New York City, the superhero known as ‘White Hat’ has been reported to have assaulted a currently unnamed villain. Not much has been released as of yet, but we do know that White Hat is responsible for this crime, and that the villain he attacked is in critical condition. I will now begin questioning witnesses to see what we can find out,” The reporter jogs around in search of a witness in the area, before he finds someone who looks easier to coerce into an impromptu interview. The person in question is a young woman, carrying a small dog protectively in her arms. “Hello, miss! I’m Lucas Harold with WOLF NEWS; is there anything you can tell the people at home about what happened here tonight?” The reporter asks, holding out a microphone to her. _

_ The young woman hesitates, as if frightened to be questioned, before she composes herself, giving a shaky nod. “I, um… gosh, it was so sudden! I was out walking my dog, when all of a sudden the police station blew up! Before I could even run, White Hat appeared and told everyone to take cover, before going in to try and find out what happened,” She pauses, glancing down at her dog, before remeeting the reporter’s gaze. “Look, I know everyone’s saying White Hat hurt someone, but… I don’t think I want to believe it. He’s always been one of the good guys, ya know? Does anyone even know it was him?” _

_ “So far, it appears White Hat was the only one in there during the attack,” The reporter explains, keeping a neutral expression on his face. “What do you think you’ll do if it comes out that White Hat truly is responsible for this heinous act? Should he be tried? Prosecuted? We shouldn’t let anyone get away with violence; not even superheroes!” _

_ “Well… I dunno,” The woman shrugs, teary eyed. She dabs at her eyes with a tissue, refusing to make eye contact in any way whatsoever. “Like I said, I don’t want to believe White Hat is a monster, but… I guess you never know who is, ya know? Sometimes people just… snap.” _

_ “You heard it here first, folks!” The reporter turns back to his cameraman, more or less giving the witness the cold shoulder. “So far, it truly does seem that the alleged superhero known as White Hat is responsible for a truly vicious assault! What do you think, audience? Should we continue supporting such a violent, impulsive character? Only time will tell!” _

_ White Hat shuts off his phone, tempted to throw it. Is this… is this  _ really  _ happening? Everything from the fight is still such a blur; how has everything happened so _ fast? _ It seems like only an hour ago, White Hat was still a good person, but now… good lord, the terror in that poor civilian’s eyes…  _ White Hat  _ caused that. Shaking somewhat, the demon pulls his knees to his chest, beginning to sob. He wants to undo this- wants to start over- but no amount of crying will fix this horrible mess. Even from his perch, White Hat can just make out the crime scene, watching from afar as the crowd only seems to grow, curious onlookers hungry in equal amounts for knowledge and blood. The hero looks away in shame, swallowing around a lump in his throat. Pretty soon, everyone in the city will know what he’s done, and the world will follow. _

_ What will his fellow heroes say? They’ll likely disown White Hat in an attempt to save face, especially once reporters start questioning them about the demon’s overall behavior and mannerisms leading up to this mess. What will the people say? Well, they’ve already more or less spoken; if they’re not scared of him, they hate him. What will… dear God, what will his  _ brother  _ say? White Hat feels a chill run down his spine, and this time he knows it’s not because of the wind. Black Hat… will he be happy? Disappointed? Most likely, he’ll probably be amused by all of this; he might even call White Hat to gloat about how he’s ‘finally obeying his true nature’. The very thought makes White Hat nauseous, but he refrains from upchucking, if only because he doesn’t believe he deserves to dispel this awful feeling from his chest. _

_ Sluggishly, White Hat pockets his phone, turning back to look at the crime scene. At long last, the crowd has begun to disperse, as police officers and even riot personnel force them to leave the premises. Not that it matters; no amount of suppression will erase this terrible crime from history. Away from the noise, the demon looks to the moon overhead, and where he once felt safe and nurtured by the snowy orb, now he only feels small and insignificant. White Hat, despite his best efforts, has become a monster, and due to how public his mistake was, no amount of kindness will make up for this; people don’t forget, and they most certainly will not forget this. With the deepest of pains in his chest, caused by a cocktail of empathy and self-hatred, White Hat at last leaves his rooftop sanctuary. He’s going to go home… maybe when he wakes up, this will all have been an awful, terrible dream. _

White Hat jolts, snapping out of the memory. His stomach pain from the memory taking hold, he stops his offhanded munching and fitfully puts everything away, save for the jelly and peanut butter. It’s while he’s finally beginning to make Slug’s sandwich that Clementia comes in, and although she in no way tries to make a lot of noise, the very sound of a softly opening door has White Hat jerking to attention, frightened by the audio. Even if he isn’t able to see the other superhero’s expression, White Hat can feel her concerned look from a mile away, and it makes him feel even guiltier. He doesn’t want to act like this around his best and only friend, but… when his past- much like a vengeful and relentless poltergeist- refuses to let him forget what he’s done, White Hat can’t be entirely blamed for reacting to his possession.

“Hey, sunshine,” Clementia acts casual, much to White Hat’s relief; the woman is courteous enough not to pry before she understands the situation better. “How you doing?” She comes to stand by the demon’s side, getting up on her tiptoes to look over White Hat’s shoulder and seeing what he’s doing. “You making lunch? I thought you slept for your energy, sweetie.”

“I… I do,” White Hat says, unable to shake away his uneasiness. “But our guest doesn’t. My apologizes, my friend, for I am rather…  _ compromised,  _ at the present moment.”

“It wasn’t the new guy, was it?” Clementia asks, her tone demanding an honest answer from her roommate. “Because if he’s trying to boss you around, I’m not going to let him get away with it.”

“Slug? Heavens no! If anything, I’m the one compromising _ him,”  _ White Hat assures. Upon earning a confused, concerned look from Clementia, he blushes, looking away in shame. “I, um… well, he has such a smart mouth on him, and you know how I hate profanity.”

“White Hat,” Clementia is suddenly very serious, the situation beginning to look dire from her perspective. “What did you do to him?”

“I…  _ well…” _ White Hat swallows, feeling guilty. Deep down, he knows his technique for discipline is outdated and bizarre, but he feels it’s one of the only methods that would work on a man such as Slug Flys… even if it  _ is  _ a bit juvenile. “I spanked him.” He doesn’t bother lying; there’s no getting anything past Clementia.

Whatever Clementia was expecting, it wasn’t that, as she balks, stepping back a bit in utter shock. Finally, she recovers, shaking her head a little in disbelief. “Oh my _ God, _ Whitie…” She mutters, somewhere between concerned and surprised, joining together to form disappointment in her voice. “Seriously? He’s an _ adult! _ At least, I’m pretty sure he is… he  _ is  _ kinda short,” She shakes it off, getting back to business. “But that’s not the point; why did you hit him? I thought you were a pacifist!”

“I am, it’s just… a boy like Slug needs something more…  _ strict,” _ White Hat pauses from his sandwich making, taking a seat on the floor. Clementia sits down beside him, much to the hero’s gratitude; it makes him feel a little less alone. “You see, I don’t wish to do him any real harm, however I can already tell that he will be a…  _ frustrating case, _ to say the least. Besides, a good spanking isn’t going to be nearly as traumatic for an adult as it would be for a child; I would  _ never  _ do such a thing to a little child, but to our new friend… well, he needs some extra discipline. And with spanking, I’m allowed to give him some comfort afterwards. Trust me, Clementia; this will be good for him.”

The look on Clementia’s face reads that of a woman completely unconvinced… but nonetheless, she nods, surrendering momentarily to White Hat’s authority. “I trust you with my life, darling… doesn’t mean I think this is one of your better ideas though,” Her expression shifts again to sternness. “I mean it, love; if I think you’re taking it too far, I’m gonna step in and stop you. Both for your sake, and his,” She glances up at the counter, giving a small smirk. “Speaking of which, he’s probably starving by now… how about you take a breather while I meet the new kid? You look just about ready to faint, and you don’t need the extra stress in your life. Besides, I want to meet our new roomie.”

White Hat hesitates, before sighing, finding it easy to agree with and support Clementia. “Very well, dearest… just please be careful. He may seem fairly scrawny, but his mind’s as bright as the sun. If he acts up, call me and I’ll see that he behaves himself accordingly.”

Clementia rolls her eyes, standing up and finishing the sandwich in record time. After laying it on a paper plate, she makes for the doorway, flashing White Hat a lopsided smile from over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, sugar; I can handle one little delinquent.” She promises, before exiting the kitchen.

White Hat stays on the floor, giving a weak, tired sigh. He really  _ is  _ tired, however… while he trusts Clementia with his very soul, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t concerned both for her safety and Slug’s. So, with a long, exhausted exhale, the demon evaporates in a cloud of snow colored smoke, determined to keep an eye on both of his companions… whether they know about it or not.

…

The demonic hero appears in Slug’s bedroom moments later, but to his thankfulness, no one notices, as Clementia isn’t here yet and Slug is fast asleep. Careful to not make too much noise, White Hat comes to stand at Slug’s bedside, watching the young man sleep. He doesn’t intend to be creepy, he’s just…  _ fascinated.  _ The young man before him is completely out cold, his chest gently rising and falling as he breathes. Apparently an at least somewhat light sleeper, Slug stirs, rolling onto side, but he ends up facing away from the demon. White Hat is just about to walk around the bed to continue studying Slug’s face-  _ he looks so vulnerable, yet defensive, as if he desperately longs for some form of solace in his life, but is too afraid of betrayal to let his guard down-  _ when he catches wind of someone approaching. In a mild panic, White Hat blinks, opening his eyes to find himself in the form of a house cat.

Um… he  _ wanted  _ to be a stuffed animal, but this is fine. Definitely. He can make this work. Hearing the doorknob begin to wiggle, White Hat bolts to the nightstand, jumping up on the furniture before using it as a boost to reach the wardrobe. He nearly falls in the process, but miraculously, White Hat catches hold of the edge of the oversized wardrobe, dragging himself up to hide just out of sight. He’s positioned himself in such a way that when Clementia enters, she won’t be able to see him unless she looks around, and the hero doubts she’ll do so, as she isn’t as observant as she acts. Just as White Hat takes a seat on his newfound perch, Clementia walks inside, careful to not make too much noise. The woman approaches almost cautiously, hesitant to rouse the criminal before she’s close enough to restrain him, should he become violent.

“Hey, buddy… how you doing?” Clementia keeps her voice calm, but gone is her soft, familial sweetness, though a mere stranger wouldn’t notice it as any different than her usual way of speaking; it reminds White Hat of their first meeting, but he vehemently denies himself the chance to reminisce, as he wants to be aware of what’s happening rather than get caught up in a memory long since past.

Slowly, with the fatigue of the very cat White Hat resembles, Slug begins to stir, coming back to himself over time, though he remains somewhat sluggish in his movements. “Oh  _ God…  _ either I died and went to heaven, or I’ve been kidnapped; either way, I expect to get fucked soon,” Slug mutters, falling back on humor to keep from showing how scared he is from being in an unfamiliar place. He eventually sits up, looking around until his eyes settle on Clementia. They widen comically, as he finally remembers what’s brought him here. “Oh right, I forgot; I just got abandoned on Hell’s doorstep to live with Uncle Satan.”

Clementia scowls while White Hat bristles, the more demonic of the two tempted to come out of hiding and scold Slug for his terrible behavior, but Clementia beats him to it. “I better not hear you call White Hat that to his face, understand?” She sounds so stern, a far cry from her usual mannerisms. “Whitie’s doing you a really nice favor, letting you live here… the least you can do is be civil.”

Slug glares, stubbornly crossing his arms across his chest in defiance. “I’ll act however the fuck I want, lady,” He declares, unimpressed by Clementia’s attempts to intimidate him. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’ve escaped four top security prisons within the last two years; this is all just temporary. Heck, if you don’t want to continue putting up with my snarky ass for the next few days, you’re free to unlock a few doors for me, and I’ll be on my merry way. How about it, sis? Willing to get rid of this headache early? I promise not to tell the big guy that you helped me.”

There’s an elongated pause, where even White Hat can’t tell what’s going on in Clementia’s head. Is she going to shrug it off? Attack Slug for being inappropriate? After a moment Clementia, quite suddenly, begins to laugh her head off, doubling over with the force of it. Slug gets the most confused look on his face, and his new guardian can’t help but silently agree; what’s going on here? What’s so funny? White Hat’s only seen Clementia laugh like this over wine mom and knock knock jokes, so why is she having such an odd reaction? Slowly, the woman calms down, recovering from her giggling fit. When she’s back to full height, she just… she just  _ smiles  _ at Slug. The young villain seems to shrink under her easy going grin, aware that something isn’t quite right with this situation.

“Oh, sweetie! You are  _ such  _ a drama queen! Clementia laughs, endlessly amused by the delinquent’s showboating. “You may talk a big game, but I can see right through you, kiddo; you’re scared out of your mind,” She comes just a little bit closer, feigning comfortableness in a confrontation that’s anything but. “Can’t say I blame you though; when I first moved in, I was pretty scared, too… but you know you don’t  _ have  _ to be scared of White Hat, right? He’s a really,  _ really  _ good person. I know you probably don’t believe that right now, but he is, and I know he’s going to help you become a better person. I might not approve of all his methods, but he  _ is  _ here to help you, kiddo!”

Slug seems to gloss over a majority of Clementia’s speech, focusing more on what she just implied. His face goes bright red, the realization that his punishment might have been made public making him beyond embarrassed. But he shakes it off in record time, his expression somewhere between angry and nervous. He tries to straighten up and deepen his scowl, but it falls flat, as Clementia doesn’t even blink. “… I’ll admit it; you’re a tough nut to crack,” Slug says, sounding almost impressed by Clementia’s stoicness, but it’s not enough to show her even an ounce of respect. “But I think you’ll find that I can be just as stubborn. Like I said, you’re free to just let me escape while you still can, because otherwise, I’ll have  _ zero  _ reservations against making your life a living, breathing hell.”

Clementia shrugs, unimpressed by the villain’s performance. “I’ve dealt with puppies scarier than you, junior,” She teases, and although Slug may not realize it, White Hat can hear the tiny change in her body language; she’s relaxing a bit, at ease despite the tense situation. “You can scream, cry, and break as much crap as you want, kid… but none of that is going to change White Hat’s mind. You say you’re stubborn? I promise you that White Hat is ten times more bull-headed than you are. You’re free to act like a brat and throw your fit, but nothing is going to stop White Hat from trying to help you.”

“But he’s  _ not helping me!”  _ Slug insists, frustrated that he isn’t getting the reaction he wants out of Clementia. “I’ve been fucking kidnapped, bitch! I don’t  _ want  _ to be here! I don’t care how fucking much you or that oversized marshmallow want to play house; I ain’t having it! If you freaks want another playmate so bad, go on Craigslist, or find some homeless bastard from off the street!  _ Anyone  _ but me! I don’t give a  _ fuck  _ how hard you creeps try to make me into something I’m not; I ain’t ever gonna be a hero, or whatever the hell you’re trying to make me into!”

Clementia’s expression hardens, before she stalks towards the young villain. Immediately, Slug flinches, though it’s not a voluntary reaction. It breaks White Hat’s heart, and he’s once again tempted to step in, but he refrains from doing so, as he wishes to see how Clementia will handle Slug’s shouting fit. Once close, the woman sits down on Slug’s bed, her face centimeters from his. “White Hat didn’t take you in because he wants another roommate, kid,” She deadpans, no amusement in her voice; she’s stone cold in her delivery. “But you’re here now, and White Hat is the only guy willing to give you a chance. I know you want to pretend that you’re impenetrable- that you’re incapable of being influenced by the people around you- but maybe it’s about time you stop acting like an entitled little shit, and start making an actual effort to be a decent human being instead of pretending to be some kind of prepubescent Charlie Manson. You want to stay out of prison? Step up and take responsibility for your mistakes, and then  _ do something about it.” _

Slug fights down a shiver, but White Hat notices it nonetheless. “You… you don’t know me, bitch.” He bites out, and really, it’s obvious that this is the best he can do right now; he’s just been flat out told that his act isn’t fooling anyone, and that can’t feel good.

Clementia just rolls her eyes, the smallest twitch of a smirk forming on her face. “You’re right; I don’t. And personally,” She leans in even closer, causing Slug to lean back, until he’s backed up against the headboard of his bed. “I can’t wait to get to know you, kiddo. I have a feeling that under your edgy facade, you’re the sweetest guy I’ll ever meet. So how about a proper introduction? We’ll say our names, and a fun fact about ourselves!” She offers the delinquent her hand, trying to prompt him to shake it. Tentatively, he accepts the offer, his grip loose and uneasy, as if ready to yank his hand back if she tries hurting him. “My name is Clementia, and I can sleep anywhere!”

“Anywhere? I sincerely doubt that.” Slug can’t help but give an honest chuckle in response to her fun fact. It’s unclear to White Hat if the villain is laughing out of nervousness or not, but he hopes it’s because he’s becoming more comfortable around his new roommate.

“Ask White Hat and he’ll back me up; I’ve slept pretty much anywhere a human being can fit in this house!” Clementia laughs as well, amused by her own exploits. She then flashes Slug a warm, almost loving smile. “Now you gotta tell me your name, kid. After all, I doubt you like being called _ ‘kiddo’.” _

“I really don’t,” Slug agrees while rolling his eyes, but at the very least he plays along. “But fine… my name is Slug Flys, and I graduated college at sixteen; I swear to God I ain’t bullshitting you.”

“I believe you,” Clementia assures, grinning even wider at Slug. “So… Slug? That’s an odd name. Please tell me your parents didn’t seriously name you that.”

Slug laughs outright, shaking his head. “Ha! They fucking  _ wish  _ they were as badass as me when it comes to names! No, I named myself this ‘cus… ‘cus…” He trails off, staring at the wall, although White Hat doubts that the paint job is what’s on his mind. “Consider it a tribute.” He decides, slowly but surely remeeting Clementia’s gaze.

Clementia nods, not pressing for anymore information. “Hey, that’s fine by me, sweetie,” She assures, before she pauses, remembering something. She grabs the sandwich she brought in- which she had set aside earlier- and offers it to Slug, appearing almost sheepish. “By the way, Whitie made this for you… sorry if it’s a bit soggy from being left alone for so long.”

“It hasn’t been that long,” Slug says, accepting the sandwich from Clementia. Unabashedly, he digs right in, nearly moaning with pleasure at the taste. “Fuck, man… who knew that after months of prison slop, even a PB&J tastes like heaven!”

“I know you said that to be funny, but now I’m just more concerned for you,” Clementia admits, playfully ruffling Slug’s shaggy hair. The villain bats her hand away almost immediately, though she doesn’t seem to mind much. “Don’t worry, junior; there’s plenty more where that came from! From now on, White Hat’s gonna give you all the food you could ever want!”

Slug looks away, speaking in-between bites of his sandwich. “Look… I know you’re trying to be nice,” He confesses, not quite meeting the hero’s eyes. “But you  _ do  _ know that I’m gonna run away at some point, right? I can’t… I can’t  _ live here.  _ I have to get out of here at some point.”

“Why?” Clementia asks. It’s such a simple question, yet it’s one White Hat longs to have answered.

“Well… I’m a  _ villain. _ I just… I just  _ have to.” _ Slug explains, blushing somewhat. Is he beginning to realize how foolish it would be to leave? White Hat sure as hell hopes so.

Clementia gets the most concerned look on her face… it’s heartbreaking. “You don’t have to do anything but become a better person, Slug,” She says, patting him on the shoulder. Again, he flinches away from physical affection, but the woman continues to not comment on it. “If you’re willing to let him, White Hat and I are willing help you… you just have to make an effort to change.”

“I’m _not_ gonna  change,” Slug declares. He lies back down on the bed, facing away from Clementia. “Now, could you please just… just  _ please  _ go,” He starts it as a request, but his sentence enters in an order, though it can hardly be called such a thing, as he sounds exhausted and embarrassed. He doesn’t like where this conversation is going, and he wants to stop it as soon as possible. “I’m really tired, dude… please leave me alone.”

Clementia hesitates, before nodding in acceptance. “If you’re so sure… but the offer still stands, Slug. We’re here to help you, not hurt you.”

Slug doesn’t answer, so Clementia leaves, closing the door on her way out. White Hat moves to teleport away as well- can’t having Clementia noticing that he’s gone- but stops upon hearing Slug speak again. “… I know.” He whispers, before falling back asleep.

White Hat stares at Slug for a long while, heart hammering in his chest. Is this… is this progress? Is Slug beginning to realize that White Hat and Clementia aren’t his enemies? That’s… that’s  _ great!  _ The superhero grins, letting out a loud purr in his current form. Slug stirs, disturbed by the noise, so White Hat blinks away before the purring can wake the boy up. Although Slug almost caught him spying, White Hat can’t help but feel his chest glow with a pleased, pleasant sort of warm, like hot cocoa poured directly into his soul. Maybe now, at long last, he can protect a villain rather than destroy one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I’m really sorry this took so long, guys! Hopefully the next chapter won’t take as long as this one did, but no guarantees! Feel free to ask questions, and I hope you all have an amazing day!


	4. testing boundaries/making adjustments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slug and White Hat are polar opposites, but as tensions rise and lines are crossed, the two try to better understand each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came about MUCH easier than the last chapter, so I’m pretty pumped! TBH, writing for Slug is so fucking fun because I can get away with some really crap jokes, but whatever, they make me laugh and that’s what counts. This series is self care, y'all! Anyways… thank you all again for reading this crackpot series, and I hope y’all will like this chapter!

Two weeks pass without much happening. Well, nothing  _ mind blowing  _ happens at least. Slug tests his boundaries as he goes, careful to see what is and isn’t appropriate. The villain counts himself lucky that he hasn’t been, er…  _ ‘taken in hand’ _ again, though he’s fairly certain that’s a small feat. White Hat thus far is going easier on Slug than the delinquent expected, as the demon had seemed like such a strict hardass during their first meeting. Slug chalks it up to White Hat being inexperienced with actual rehabilitation, and can only hope that his own stubborn apathy has caused the demon to give up on his plans to use corporal punishment on him. But until that’s one-hundred percent confirmed, Slug walks on eggshells around the superhero, prepared to bolt at a moment’s notice, much like a wild rabbit foraging for food… which is, coincidentally, what he’s currently doing.

With the gentlest of movements, Slug slides another snack cake into his pocket, not caring all that much if it gets smashed a bit on the way to his bedroom. Call him paranoid, but Slug’s always had a habit of snagging food- typically prepackaged snacks or juice boxes- and storing the goods in his bedroom for later use. He typically hides them under his bed, but he’s made a habit of changing the exact hiding spot on a regular basis, making it all that much harder for anyone to find out what he's up to. Slug knows damn well that White Hat isn’t going to be happy when he inevitably discovers the stash, but fuck it; Slug went hungry too many times as a teenager to keep from developing paranoia around having access to food. So long as he doesn’t take anything too valuable or noticeable, Slug's confident that he can keep this up for as long as he needs to… so long as White Hat doesn't decide to snoop around in his room anytime soon.

Just as the delinquent opens the fridge to snag a water bottle and continue his  _ 'heist', _ he hears footfalls from down the hall. Panicking, Slug ducks beneath the kitchen table, praying to a god he doesn't even believe in that whoever is coming won't notice him. A moment later, Clementia enters the kitchen, not bothering to turn on the light as she makes a beeline for the fridge; it is, after all, around three in the morning, and she's probably too tired to pay attention to her surroundings. The woman grabs a water bottle from the fridge, not the least bit aware of Slug’s presence as she exits the kitchen, leaving just as quickly as she arrived. Once she’s gone, Slug let’s out a breath he barely knew he’d been holding, carefully crawling out from under the kitchen table.  _ That was a close one. _ With Clementia out of the way, the villain again opens the fridge, only to leap back in surprise when a jug of milk topples out, bursting open on the floor; Clementia must have accidentally unbalanced something in the fridge when she got her water.

“Oh  _ shit!” _ Slug shouts, more out of shock than anything else. He slaps a hand over his mouth immediately after saying it, dread filling his stomach as he realizes what he’s done. He’s  _ so _ dead.

Within a few seconds, a cloud of mist appears in the kitchen, and from that mist materializes a less than enthused White Hat, the pale demon still decked out in his pajamas; a dark blue bathrobe and pink bunny slippers. “What in the world happened in here?” He snaps, irritated at having been woken up. Yep, Slug’s  _ definitely _ gonna die.

“I, um, uh…” Slug gulps, fidgeting in place. What should he say; that he was up stealing food? That's a death sentence! “I, uh, j-just needed some, uh… milk,” He offers, not quite meeting the hero’s gaze. “But it, um, fell over… I’m very sorry, sir.”

White Hat softens at once, much to the delinquent’s relief. “Oh, thank goodness. For a moment, I thought someone had been hurt! Are you sure you’re alright, my boy?” He looks Slug over with great hesitation, as he’s taking the villain’s explanation with a grain of salt. “And why are you wearing jeans this late at night? Seems odd that you’d wear them if you were just in bed sleeping… you  _ were _ sleeping a few minutes ago, weren’t you?” He crosses his arms, attempting to look stern and intimidating. Although Slug will never admit it, he feels White Hat is intimidating enough without trying too hard.

Slug shuffles in place again, praying that White Hat won’t notice the bulges in his pockets. “I wasn’t… wearing pajama pants. While I was sleeping. I didn’t want to come in here without pants on, in case someone else was up, and they were already on the floor, so… whatever, ya know?” Slug feels so ridiculous and uncomfortable in this situation, desperate to get out of it. Back in prison and as a teenager, Slug had been quickly beaten or dealt with when he’d been caught where he wasn’t supposed to be, but White Hat… he isn’t freaking out, which has completely unbalanced the young villain’s expectations. “I-I’ll get this cleaned up, sir, I promise!” He assures, hoping that acting like a nervous kissass will get him out of this mess; if it can work for his baby brother, it can sure as fuck work for him!

White Hat goes to nod, but pauses, eyes squinting. “Wait… how are you even  _ in here, _ Slug? I lock your door every night after putting you to bed!” The hero puts his hands on his hips, leaning over the juvenile villain in order to assert his dominance. “Is there something you would like to tell me, young man? If you’re honest with me, this will go much more favorably for you.” He says, arms crossed in a silent display of irritation.

Slug’s eyes widen, the realization that White Hat has caught on making him fidget even worse than before. “It was… unlocked. I dunno.” That isn’t a complete lie; it just wasn’t unlocked by White Hat. Slug’s been sneaking out almost every night since he got here, and really, he’s just glad he’s only been caught  _ now. _ At least he’s managed to memorize most of the mansion’s exit points before getting found out…

White Hat huffs, crossing his arms again. “You understand that all things considered, it would be foolish not to punish you for this, yes?” He waits for Slug to sheepishly nod, the villain continuing to avert his eyes. “Well, no time like the present,” The superhero takes a seat on the nearest chair, giving Slug an expectant look. “Well? Come now, my boy, you’re in enough trouble as it is. Drawing this out will only make things worse, and you don't want things to be worse, right?”

“… I don't, sir,” Slug agrees, his stomach feeling heavy at the thought of what’s about to happen. “But I think-”

_ “-I _ think you’ve gotten into enough trouble as it is,” White Hat interrupts his ward, too tired to put up with Slug’s excuses. “Now bend over my knee before I make you.”

Slug gulps, unsure of what to do. “But… I’m too old!” He insists, hoping that if he’s unruly, White Hat will just give up and go back to bed.

Unfortunately, White Hat isn’t planning on dealing with any of this bullshit. “Oh for the love of…  _ fine! _ If you wish to be difficult, I’ll position you myself!” The hero swiftly catches Slug by the wrist, pulling the delinquent closer while ignoring the way Slug struggles and curses in response. “Enough swearing, young man! Do you really want to make things harder on yourself?” Unbuttoning Slug’s jeans, the demon moves to pull them down, but pauses, noticing two bulges in Slug’s pockets. “Hm? What’s this?” He asks, shoving his hands in to see what the boy is hiding.

Slug  _ panics,  _ thrashing to get White Hat’s hands out of his pockets. The promise of corporal punishment is bad enough, but Slug doubts the demon will remain calm if he finds out what the villain is  _ really  _ doing out of bed. “Wait!” He all but begs, trying to grab White Hat by his wrists, but the demon is too strong to fight off with physical force. “Please, it’s not what you think!” He yells, hoping to god that the hero won’t react too violently.

Slowly, White Hat pulls out two wrapped up snacks from each pocket, inspecting the partially crumbled treats with a scowl on his face. Slug gulps at the sight, brow sweaty with stress. “Slug Flys, would you care to explain what it is I'm holding?” White Hat asks, finally looking the boy in the eyes, and dear god, he does  _ not  _ look happy. “You had better answer honestly, young man, or I swear, I'll see to it that you don't sit for a week.”

Slug averts his eyes, terrified beyond reason. It’s not like he’s been caught smuggling a weapon or cigarettes, but… he’s still within grabbing distance of an angry demon, so he’s fairly certain he’s not getting out of this one in one piece. “They’re, um…” He swallows nervously, his shoulders sagging in defeat; there’s no use hiding it anymore. “They’re snacks, sir… I was stealing from the kitchen.”

Instead of beating him like Slug expects, White Hat merely tilts his head, his scowl still present, but beginning to wane. “Why were you taking food? It’s not stealing if it’s food that’s already in the house, Slug. If you were so hungry, why didn’t you ask for a snack before bed? And why these?” He holds up a Twinkie to demonstrate, confused by Slug’s choice in nourishment. “Surely something this sweet will keep you up for the rest of the night, and I know you haven’t the appetite to eat all of these in one sitting…” He softens, setting the snacks aside to take Slug by the hands, cupping them between his own in an attempt comfort the boy in front of him. “Come now, son, you can tell me what’s going on. I promise not to punish you until I know what’s going on; if you answer honestly, you won’t be in as much trouble.”

Slug sighs, finally looking at White Hat, though he keeps his eyes on the superhero’s hands around his own. He can’t help but tilt his head a little at the sight, as White Hat’s hands absolutely  _ engulf _ his own… it makes him feel so  _ small.  _ Nearly hyperventilating at that thought alone, Slug rapidly shakes his head; no no no, he can’t age-slide right now! Not now, not  _ ever! _ Once the thought finally dissipates, Slug tells the truth… even if it’s really,  _ really _ hard to do. “I was… I was stealing them for my stash,” He looks away again, swallowing around a lump in his throat. “Just in case I ever got in trouble and you decided to stop feeding me, I thought… I thought I’d just, I dunno, snag some supplies? Nothing that would be missed, just a few things that would last a long time… getting starved was a kind of, um, common punishment. Both in prison and… elsewhere.” Slug vehemently refuses to mention his parents by name, as White Hat still doesn’t know, and the juvenile villain would like to keep it that way for as long as possible.

If it were even possible, White Hat’s expression softens even further, the demon offering his ward an apologetic frown. “Oh, Slug,” He murmurs, voice soft as silk and just as comforting. It sends a shiver down Slug’s spine, the boy unaccustomed to such gentleness after admitting what he’s done wrong. Why isn’t White Hat angry? Why isn’t he spanking him yet? Is he going to do something worse, now that he knows what Slug was doing? “There’s no need to do that, my boy… I would never,  _ ever _ starve you, understand? Making you hungry isn’t going to help anyone. I understand that your previous imprisonments weren’t exactly…  _ ideal,  _ but rest assured that you are never in danger of starving while living under this roof, alright? Goodness, I wish you had told me earlier; I would have made this more clear when you got here, and we could have avoided all of this nonsense.” White Hat is as gentle as he can be with his delivery, not wanting to upset the criminal any further.

“Wait, so you’re not… you're not  _ mad?” _ Slug asks, tone tentative. It’s too good to be true; no way is he getting off this easy.

“I’m disappointed that you broke out of your bedroom and snuck around the manor without my supervision, but you’re not in trouble for trying to take food, and you’re  _ especially _ not in trouble for making an accidental mess. I know you didn’t mean to drop the milk jug, and now that you know you’ll be fed regularly, I expect you to not take food without my permission again, correct?” Earning a frantic nod, White Hat resists the urge to chuckle, instead opening his arms to Slug. “Come here, son; you need a hug. You must have been so terrified, thinking I might starve you.”

Slug fidgets, half wanting to make a break for it- after all, it sounds like he still might get his ass whooped- and half wanting to hug White Hat as tight as possible, which makes him…  _ very _ confused. After all, White Hat is the enemy! He’s keeping him in this house against Slug’s will! In the end, Slug just looks away awkwardly, too intimidated and unbalanced to accept the hug. Sighing, White Hat just shakes his head in defeat, aware that Slug isn’t going to accept his affection just yet. Instead, he wordlessly begins getting Slug's pants down, to which the delinquent let’s him. Slug knows he’s lucky enough that White Hat isn’t going to strangle him for stealing food; the last thing he needs to do is give the demon more reasons to hit him. Once his jeans are around his ankles, Slug doesn’t waste any time, settling over the hero’s lap without so much as a peep.

Eyes now glued to the floor, Slug can’t help but shiver, dreading what’s about to occur. It’s… it’s just a little spanking, right? Kids get spanked all the time, and Slug isn’t even a kid, so really, he  _ knows _ he’ll be okay… it doesn’t make this much easier, though. The moment Slug has gotten comfortable over White Hat’s lap- well, as comfortable as he  _ can _ get, really- the demon begins swinging his arm down, rhythmically spanking the young villain’s backside at a steady pace. Immediately Slug is subconsciously squirming, horrified by the fact that this hurts  _ much _ more than his last spanking, something he had hoped wasn’t possible. As a result, it’s not hard to get tears to form in Slug’s eyes, but just like last time, the villain promises himself that he won’t give in and cry, no matter how much it hurts, which it most certainly doesn’t!

But… well, it  _ does  _ hurt! A  _ lot! _ Unable to stop himself, Slug unwillingly kicks his right leg, nearly knocking over a chair. “Cut that out,” White Hat orders, giving Slug a few harder smacks as a result, which only makes him kick again. Sighing, the demon stands Slug up, maneuvering the boy back over his knee a moment later, this time with the delinquent’s legs locked between his own. “That’s better,” The hero says, giving Slug a pat on the back. “Halfway there, my boy. Halfway there.” He assures, trying to comfort the young villain.

Slug resists the urge to roll his eyes, as he doesn’t want to give the sick bastard hitting him a reaction. Unfortunately, he ends up squeaking- actually  _ squeaking, _ goddammit- when his boxers are unceremoniously yanked down. “Hey! What the  _ hell,  _ man!?” Slug can’t help but shout, frantically trying to reach his hands behind himself to cover his backside.

“I told you that your underwear would be coming off the next time you were over my knee, young man,” White Hat explains, easily brushing Slug’s hands out of the way. “I'm going to start again in a moment; do you need me to hold your wrists, or do you think you can get through this without reaching back again?”

Slug blushes, looking away. “I-I’m fine!” He insists, quick to grab the chair legs to not only keep his balance, but to keep his hands busy.

White Hat offers the delinquent a small smile, not that Slug can see it from his angle. “Very well… almost done, my boy.” He says, before continuing the spanking.

Right away, Slug is thrashing in pain, his ass feeling like it’s on fire. Goddamn, this is  _ nothing _ like that first spanking, no sir! Deep down, Slug wishes he could still kick his legs, as it served as a wonderful distraction from, well…  _ this. _ Squirming in place, Slug prays that not only will this end soon, but that the hero won’t spank him any harder. To Slug’s horror, however, it seems that his worst fears are realized, as just when the thought comes to mind, White Hat begins bringing his hand down with more force, much to the young delinquent's misfortune. Slug tries biting his lip, tries squeezing his eyes shut, tries  _ anything, _ but nothing alleviates the terrible pain as it only continues to grow, feeling like a bonfire on the boy's ass. Unable to hold it in any longer, Slug let’s out a traitorous sob, bowing his head in shame as he begins to cry.

After another minute or so, White Hat finally stops, but enough time has passed that Slug is crying his eyes out by the time it’s over, incapable of stopping himself. Slug knows it’s over by now- can feel White Hat rubbing his back, whispering that he’ll be okay- but for the life of him, Slug can't get it together, too overwhelmed by pain and embarrassment to think coherently. To be fair, most of the embarrassment is actually gone- funny how fast you forget your modesty when your ass burns hotter than a stovetop- however, Slug is still overcome with guilt, something that shocks him. He isn’t sure what’s actually causing it, but either way, it has him crying like his life depends on it. White Hat eventually changes strategies, sitting Slug up on his lap, careful to not let the boy’s backside rub against the demon’s bathrobe, for fear of worsening the pain.

Slug just sits there and sobs, not caring that he’s naked from the waist down. Right now, he wants to go to bed and sleep himself into a coma, but he supposes a hug is the next best thing. White Hat takes it all in stride, wrapping his arms securely around Slug’s waist to act as a seatbelt, keeping him on his lap for as long as the boy needs him. Several minutes pass where White Hat doesn’t speak, as he just wants Slug to let it all out, which the villain secretly appreciates. To be honest, Slug can’t remember the last time he truly,  _ deeply _ cried… was it the night he left his little brother behind? The afternoon a prison guard nearly assaulted him in his cell? The day his parole officer loudly proclaimed that he was beyond saving? In any case, Slug knows that he’s been holding this back for a long,  _ long _ time.

“There there,” White Hat’s voice is so impossibly  _ gentle,  _ it unintentionally gets a few more sobs out of Slug, the villain unused to affection when all he’s ever known is abuse. “It’s alright now, son… I’m not giving up on you.”

How did he know that that’s exactly what Slug needed to hear? Doesn’t matter, as either way, the young criminal slowly begins to settle down, the sting in his backside simmering down to an uncomfortable ache, but at least it’s better than the burning. Eventually, this allows Slug to stop sobbing, the delinquent offhandedly rubbing at his face, trying to wipe away his tears. “I’m… I’m good,” He says, hating how croaky and weak his voice is; he sounds like a little kid. “You can, um, let me go now, sir.”

White Hat clearly doesn’t want to, but he concedes, unwrapping his arms from around Slug’s waist and allowing him to stand up. Slug does so, quick to yank up his pants and boxers, all while fighting down a mighty blush while he gets himself readjusted. The minute his jeans are back on correctly, White Hat grabs him by the wrists, much to Slug’s surprise (and thinly veiled fear). “Now, Slug… do you understand why you were spanked?” White Hat asks, tilting his head at the boy.

Slug internally balks. Is… is he being serious? “Um… yes?” He says, not sure why he’s being asked to begin with.

White Hat nods his head, but doesn’t let go. “Would you please tell me? I need to make sure you understand what it was you did wrong.”

Slug blushes, averting his eyes out of embarrassment. “Do I really have to do this?” Receiving a nod, the villain sighs, internally shaking his head at this nonsense. “I was, um… I was punished-” He vehemently  _ refuses _ to say  _ ‘spanked’, _ as it's too humiliating to vocalize. “-I was punished, because… because I left my room without permission, stayed up late, and stole from you,” When White Hat only frowns, the boy panics. “P-Please, don’t hit me again! I’m sorry!” Slug hates how young and scared he sounds, but he can’t help it! He knows he can’t handle another round over the demon’s knee!

White Hat is quick to rub Slug’s wrists, trying to calm him down. “Easy, my boy, easy… I’m not going to spank you twice in one night. Goodness, do you really think me such a sadist?” He doesn’t pause long enough to let Slug answer, quick to correct the villain’s earlier mistake. “No, you were spanked because you snuck out of bed without permission and proceeded to sneak about the house; you are  _ not _ in trouble for getting food. However, I trust you will not do it again regardless, understand? That food is for everyone. If you’re really so concerned about having a stash of food that's more accessible to you, perhaps we can set up a storage area closer to your room, but you need to discuss that with me first,” He smiles at Slug, eyes full of a tenderness that makes the delinquent feel both intimidated and safe. It’s an odd combination. “Slug, I know that you’re afraid of me- I know you don’t trust me- but I hope that someday you will. In the meantime, I will do everything in my power to earn that trust from you.”

Slug resists the urge to say that spanking him isn’t going to earn White Hat any brownie points, but he decides not to; he’s had a long night, and he could really use some sleep. Unintentionally proving this, Slug yawns rather loudly, much to his embarrassment. He blushes bright red, hands covering his mouth. “Um… excuse me.” He offers, not quite looking at White Hat. He typically wouldn’t apologize for such a thing, but after being freshly chastised, he figures a little obedience wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

White Hat just chuckles, which only goes to further humiliate the young criminal. “You’re fine, my boy,” He assures, standing up and resting a hand on Slug’s shoulder. “Let’s get you to bed, shall we? You must be exhausted,” Noticing how the villain’s eyes linger on the puddle of milk nearby, the demon softens, patting Slug’s shoulder in reassurance. “Don’t fret over that, son; I’ll take care of it.” He promises, offering his ward a comforting smile.

Slug hesitates, looking between the mess and White Hat, before another yawn escapes him, this one thankfully smaller. “… Alright, sir.” He eventually agrees, too tired to really argue.

White Hat smiles a bit wider, eyes twinkling with an emotion currently unknown to Slug. “Thata boy,” He praises, leading Slug to the door. “Now come along; you’ve had a long night.”

And as embarrassing as it is, Slug does as he's told. He promises himself that he'll find a way to get back at White Hat for spanking him later- maybe slip something in the demon’s tea, or hide his precious newspaper tomorrow morning- but for now, he’ll settle for getting to bed and sleeping off the worst of his pain.

…

The next morning things are, predictably, awkward. Slug is especially quiet, not that White Hat blames him. Some part of the demon actually feels quite guilty for punishing Slug in the middle of the night, but considering the circumstances, he believes it was necessary. Besides, White Hat is fairly certain that  _ ‘waiting for it’ _ would be excruciating, and the last thing he wants to do is make Slug anxious. Speaking of anxiety… despite White Hat’s best efforts, he knows that his ward is just that; he’s fidgety and uncomfortable. Piling onto that, Slug has been getting more and more short-tempered as the two weeks have passed, and while he’s probably not going to act up in a big way anytime soon- not when he’s still sore- White Hat knows that spanking Slug won’t keep him in line forever. No, if he wants to keep his newly acquired patient under control, he needs to accommodate him better.

He’s already planning on going through with his promise to install a food storage compartment in Slug’s bedroom- likely in the ceiling of his closet or something- but White Hat needs to give him something to actually  _ do.  _ After all, if the anxiousness of being in an unfamiliar place won’t do the kid in, the depression caused by boredom certainly will. Once breakfast has concluded, and Clementia has left the manor for the day, White Hat makes a point to find Slug. He’s already begun letting the boy free roam during the day- something Clementia is more than a little skeptical of- so it’s not like White Hat knows where he is for sure when he starts looking for him. Thankfully, tracking Slug down isn’t hard, as White Hat finds him exactly where he expected to find him; the library. He finds Slug sitting in one of the armchairs, surrounded by books and appearing bored as he flips through what the hero recognizes to be a graphic novel, more specifically a graphic novel for  _ 'Dracula'. _

“Good afternoon, Slug,” White Hat greets, hoping that civility will make Slug more agreeable. “And what are you up to today? Reading again?”

“Not much else to do, sir.” Slug says, not looking up from his book. Looking closer at the delinquent, White Hat notices that Slug is sitting on his knees, careful to not apply too much pressure to his backside.

“Well, that’s actually what I came in here to talk to you about,” White Hat takes a seat across from Slug, offering the boy a wide smile. “You see, I believe if we want you to be properly rehabilitated, you’ll need to have something productive to do. After all, we can’t have you bored; that’s just asking for a disaster, considering your penchant for mischief.”

Slug raises an eyebrow, appearing tentative. He obviously doesn’t trust the superhero, not even after White Hat comforted him the night before; the kid definitely has the personality of a stray cat, and like a stray cat, it's going to take a painful amount of patience and time before White Hat sees much progress. “Okay, I’ll bite,” Slug sets his book aside, leaning forward a bit as he focuses on the conversation more closely. “What’ve you got planned, cape?”

White Hat barely contains an excited laugh as he stands up, offering his hand to the young villain. “Come with me and I’ll show you.” He says, still grinning.

Slug scowls, unimpressed with White Hat’s affectionate gesture. “Whatever.” He mutters, though he’s quick to stand up and follow White Hat out of the room, walking at a short distance behind the demon.

White Hat leads the boy down several hallways and down a long, spiraling staircase. At the bottom, he pauses, waiting until Slug is beside him to turn on the lights. Although Slug was trying to act tough and distant beforehand, even he can’t contain his excited gasp at the sight in front of him, causing White Hat to subtly smile. In the basement lies a large, mostly unused laboratory. Years ago- decades, really- this lab was home to a great deal of scientifically minded superheroes, but after several falling outs between White Hat and the various vigilante groups of the world, his lab has been mostly unused, left to rot in the basement until a suitable scientist can come along and use it. Slug just stands in place, gawking at the wide array of machinery in front of him. Fidgeting somewhat, the villain glances at White Hat, eyes full of uncertainty.

“Why are we, uh… here?” Slug asks, his body language giving away how baffled he is.

White Hat is tempted to tease Slug- after all, the delinquent is so ridiculously smart,  _ surely _ he must know what’s going on- but the demon resists the urge, as he wants this moment to be peaceful. “Don’t you see? This is your lab now,” The hero explains, gesturing for Slug to follow him as he gives a short tour of the laboratory. “I’m aware that you’re quite the scientist, and it would be a shame to not give you the freedom to experiment and express yourself. Of course, access to this place is a privilege, and I expect you to treat it as such. If you act out enough, you’ll be temporarily kept from spending time down here. Furthermore, at least for the time being, you won’t be allowed to take anything out of here without my permission. If I catch you smuggling out a toolbox or any other such implements, we’re going to have a very serious problem.”

Slug nods his head in acceptance; he knows White Hat’s rules are more than acceptable, considering the circumstances. “I understand, sir,” Slug assures, fidgeting a little as he glances around the room, unable to hold still. To White Hat’s gratefulness, he recognizes Slug’s uneasiness to not be caused by stress, but rather, the boy is excited to get started with his experiments. He looks like a kid in a candy store. “Um… thank you, sir. For all of this; I’ll make sure to use it well.” The villain remembers to be appreciative, mindful of the fact that this place is indeed a privilege, and expressing his gratitude will probably make White Hat more inclined to let him keep it.

“I expect no different. However, I ask that you refrain from creating anything too…  _ dangerous.” _ White Hat can’t help but shiver a little at the thought. He knows damn well that giving Slug access to the lab will probably come back to bite him in the ass, but the look of pure excitement and eagerness on the delinquent’s face… it makes White Hat feel pleasantly warm, negating any doubts he might have.

“That’s more than fair,” Slug agrees, before he catches sight of an odd trinket on a nearby tabletop; it looks like a prototype for a raygun of some kind. “No way!” He shouts, running and picking the object up. He looks it over with an appraiser's eye, carefully examining the contraption. “Do you have any idea what this is!?” He asks White Hat, purely hypothetically, as he knows his guardian probably has no idea what he’s talking about. Thankfully, he fills the demon in without hesitation. “This is a prototype of the famous  _ 'Godless Horror'! _ Holy crap, I thought this model was lost to history after Doomsnight got defeated, but it looks like something from that line still exists. A few adjustments and this baby will be just as amazing as it’s predecessor!"

White Hat just nods, not understanding what Slug is talking about  _ at all.  _ “Well, it’s certainly interesting,” He admits, carefully taking the prototype from Slug and setting it back on the table. “But as I said before, I’d rather you not toy with weapons until you’re better adjusted.”

Slug goes to roll his eyes, but thinks better of it. “Yes, sir,” He mutters, refusing to argue so he won’t get in trouble. While looking away in disappointment, he catches sight of another contraption, this one sparking his interest as well. “How about this?” He offers, grabbing the metal box and examining it; it looks like a video game controller, but there’s nothing to hint at what it’s connected to. However, that doesn’t seem to matter, as it appears that Slug has figured out what it is rather quickly. “I think this is a Master Hacker,” He says, allowing White Hat to look at it from over his shoulder. “From what I’ve researched, this thing can hotwire almost any device. Only reason it’s not as popular as it used to be is because a majority of hackers are faster than this dinosaur, but I think I could make it faster than it was before! Where the heck did you even  _ get _ all this stuff?”

White Hat shrugs, feeling guilty as he recalls how upset his old recruits were after he forced them to leave their creations behind… it’s no wonder there’s so many prototypes and old machines down here. “Let’s just say I’ve made a habit of hoarding things I should have thrown out a long time ago,” The hero decides, not yet comfortable with telling Slug how ugly his past really is; the villain already thinks he's a violent bigot, and he really doesn't need anymore fuel for the fire. “At the very least, it seems you’ll get more out of these trinkets than I would… feel free to tinker with whatever you wish, so long as you don’t make anything lethal.”

Slug can’t resist the urge to grin as he continues swooning over the Master Hacker in his hands, amazed by all of the relics he can now toy with. “I… I don’t know what to say,” He admits, daring to offer the demon a surprisingly sincere smile. “But, um… thank you again, sir. I’ll make sure to put this place to good use.”

White Hat smiles in return, his chest continuing to pulse with warm. “I expect no different from a young man as bright as you… do you mind if I sit with you for a bit while you tinker?”

Slug doesn’t even bat an eye, still too distracted by his new workshop to act as vulgar as he usually does. “Sure, go ahead. It  _ is _ your basement.” He says, turning his back on White Hat as he sets to work, prying open the Master Hacker before he begins replacing wires and installing new ones, eager to see what he can do to improve the device.

In the meantime, White Hat sits on the nearest chair, watching his ward work from a few feet away. Something about all of this feels so very…  _ domestic. _ A few weeks ago, if someone had asked White Hat if he were interesting in fatherhood, he would have shaked his head and laughed outright.  _ Him? _ As a  _ father? _ The thought seems so contrived and unrealistic, and yet… and yet here White Hat is, observing a young delinquent who is in dire need of a father. The demon knows he probably isn’t the best candidate for the position- a majority of the male population would do a better job, at least in his opinion- and yet the idea won’t leave him alone. Sure, Slug is annoyingly stubborn and rebellious, but given a little affection and careful redirection, White Hat’s fairly certain the villain in front of him will become a proper young man, and perhaps even an admirable young superhero as well.

Shaking his head, White Hat tries to rid himself of the thought. No, he… he can’t be a father, can he? He’s so inexperienced, and an actual human child would probably end up traumatized within a week of being adopted. And Slug, well… he isn’t exactly a little kid anymore, despite having a suspiciously young energy to him. The delinquent wouldn’t allow it; if White Hat tried to assert himself as a father figure in his life, the criminal would most assuredly lose his composure and violently reject the demon’s offer. Biting back a mournful sigh, White Hat leans back in his seat, feeling weary and defeated despite not having fought anyone. It seems that becoming a father to Slug just isn’t meant to be… still, White Hat will enjoy the innocent thought while he can. After all, he isn’t hurting anyone if it’s just a little daydream that he keeps to himself…

When Clementia finds the men hours later, with White Hat asleep in his chair and Slug out cold and slumped over his pet project, they’ll all laugh it off and have dinner together. And if White Hat decides to not discuss what he dreamed about, well… it’s just his dream to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> White Hat look out! You’re getting Feelings(™)! Whatever, at least the feelings are mutual (even if Slug isn’t ready to admit that yet). Hope you all enjoyed, and I’ll see you again for the next chapter!


	5. stiff competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When White Hat receives a troubling letter in the mail from his twin brother, Slug makes the most of it and begins formulating a plot to regain his status as a villain. But is White Hat as gullible as Slug thinks, or is the young delinquent in for a nasty surprise?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooo, actual plot time! Why do I have the feeling that I’m about to make future me hate me by forcing him to figure out how to work around my own lore bullshit? Oh well, future Harry can figure it out (famous last words)! Hope you enjoy!

“Letter for a Mr. White Ha… Ha…” The young man stutters, his brow furrowed in confusion; it’s likely that he’s never heard of White Hat’s last name before. “Hatson?” He offers, showing the demon the front of the envelope for confirmation.

“Yes, that’s me,” White Hat confirms, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. After all, it’s not the kid's fault that White Hat has such an odd last name! “Thank you very much, sir… and who, may I ask, is this from?”

The man shrugs halfheartedly. “Dunno, man… by the way, is that, um…” He makes a motion towards the ginormous patch of burnt grass that takes up more than half the yard. “Normal?”

White Hat huffs under his breath. “Don’t worry about it,” He suggests, giving the delivery boy a big tip before shutting the door in his face. Turning away, he begins to pace as he looks the envelope over; it looks official, but it’s bearing an insignia the demon unfortunately knows all too well… a black top hat. “This can’t be good…” He says to himself, tearing the letter open without a second thought. “Let’s see what my dear brother has done this time.”

Where White Hat had expected to find a bill or a payment inquiry- it wouldn’t be the first time Black Hat has used his brother’s name to get into trouble- the superhero finds a neatly printed newsletter. The demon hesitates for a moment, concern filling his insides. Sending something like this… it’s a bit out of character for Black Hat. For as long as he’s known him, White Hat has only ever known his brother to be, in no uncertain terms, very personal, both in his actions and presentation. As this is the case, receiving a printed letter, and not a handwritten one, seems completely amiss of Black Hat’s style. And if the formatting wasn’t unsettling enough, the lack of a human heart or similarly disturbing item to be delivered has White Hat incredibly uncomfortable. It’s not like he  _ enjoys _ getting bodies in the mail, but for Black Hat to not send something more personal… either something’s very wrong, or something else is going on here.

There’s no point in standing around worrying, especially when all his answers might be in this very envelope. So, swallowing his anxiety, White Hat begins reading the letter.

_ Recipient: White Hat, Brother of Lord Black Hat _

_ “Hello, inferior excuses for capes and masks (really, you should just stick to being called “heroes and villains”); it is I, Black Hat, sending you a very important message! _

_ As so many of you love to point out, I am- as of the typing of this newsletter- retired! But that is not to remain for much longer! You see, I have found retirement to be rather dull and pointless, and so I have spent many a year brainstorming as to what I should do. And now, my pathetic excuses for opposition and solidarity, it is with great excitement that I announce my newest and most evil scheme yet; from this moment on, I shall be manufacturing and distributing my villainous creations to any and all criminals willing to pay the price, both with their wallets and their souls! If you are a wise, humble villain, I expect to hear from you very soon! If you are not, well then I suppose you aren’t worth my time. _

_ And to the selected superheroes that receive this message, know this; very soon, you will be bombarded with delinquents who share my ideology, and shall be wielding my amazing inventions! If you wish to surrender, it is too late! Any and all villains who oppose you will track you down and dismember you in such delightful ways, I can hardly contain my excitement! I eagerly await the arrival of your mutilated carcasses on my doorstep! And to those of you who believe you can defeat me… well, you know that to be a lie. Do you really think any of you are capable of besting me? Of outsmarting me? There will be no victory for whelplings such as yourselves. Not even my worse half could stop me! _

_ Again, I await the calls of eager villains looking to better themselves with bated breath.” _

_ Sincerely your’s, Lord Black Hat of the Black Hat Organization. _

_ (Typed and composed by Dr. [REDACTED] of the Black Hat Organization, right hand man to Lord Black Hat) _

It really is a good thing that White Hat can summon a chair from thin air, as while he's shaking in his panic and tripping backwards from shock, his favorite armchair materializes behind him, catching the demon as he collapses. For a long while, White Hat just sits there in his chair, incapable of understanding what's happening, and more importantly,  _ why _ it's happening! Shaking like a leaf, White Hat reads through it again, mouthing the words as he goes over them a second time. Why is Black Hat  _ doing this?  _ What's the  _ point?  _ From what White Hat can remember, Black Hat's never expressed any actual interest in doing something like this… so  _ why?  _ Perhaps it's this doctor character's idea? That sounds likely, especially since the doctor's name has been removed, potentially for their safety (or just to give Black Hat more credit).

What will this mean for the superhero community? White Hat has hardly heard from anyone in that circle for years, so he doesn't even  _ know  _ who's in charge. Maybe if the community is still being run by the more level headed heroes- like Dashing Darak or Freezie- the other capes will stand a chance, but White Hat is still uncertain. What about the villains? No doubt the reaction will be mixed. Black Hat's always had a way of winning people over, even when he's terrible at socializing, so there will most certainly be a slew of rookies and diehards eager to be in the demon's good graces. But although Black Hat is most assuredly charismatic- even if it's unintentional- there will be a large number of criminals that will resist him. After all, supervillains are nothing if not overtly conceited.

Oh God, the  _ fallout…  _ White Hat shivers, sick to his stomach. The carnage will be unprecedented, what with a majority of the key fighters being morally fluid in a way that’s anything but flattering. Even if this goes as smoothly as physically possible- something that, considering it’s Black Hat causing the chaos, is impossible- there will be an uproar from civilians. Will law enforcement be up to the task of stopping something like this? Will they even  _ try?  _ It’s only been about, say, two years since the Wilhelm Scandal, and more than half the superhero community had been caught up in that nonsense! Who’s to say this won’t be as bad, or god forbid  _ worse?  _ Swallowing, White Hat folds up and tucks the letter away, hiding it in his shirt pocket; until further notice, he’ll try and just… stay out of it. After all, just because Black Hat is acting out doesn’t mean White Hat needs to respond.

Already feeling fatigued- and it’s hardly past noon- White Hat goes about business as usual, all while a letter containing his worst fears is pressed against his heart, acting as a constant reminder of what is most certainly about to ruin his life.

…

Slug, for the life of him, cannot figure White Hat out.

In all of his years of villainy- only two years, but he likes to think he makes up for his lack of experience with research and enthusiasm- Slug has never met someone quite like White Hat. The demon is so…  _ complicated? _ Is that the word? Probably not; complication is human, and White Hat, despite his empathetic nature, is anything but. In fact, it’s that empathy that’s currently driving Slug up the damn wall. He’s tried to chalk up who White Hat is as a person in order to properly strategize against him, but every time Slug thinks he has the hero figured out, White Hat does something unexpected that throws the delinquent’s theory out the window. Is White Hat a sociopath? Clearly not, as he has empathy and knows how to socialize. Is he a sadist? Surprisingly no, he doesn’t appear to be, despite his penchant for spanking as a means of discipline. Then what in the world _ is he!? _

For lack of a better term, Slug has decided that White Hat is, by default, completely and utterly insane; there’s no other way to describe him. One minute White Hat is more than willing to put Slug over his knee and beat the ever living daylights out of his ass, but the next he’s coddling him and trying to make Slug feel better. It’s…  _ confusing, _ to say the least. The demon is also painfully affectionate, and yet he’s capable of becoming irritated and stubborn on a moment’s notice. In all Slug’s life, he’s never met someone quite as delusional and strong as White Hat. Because, make no mistake of it; White Hat is overwhelming powerful, and that’s beyond terrifying to Slug, who still has no idea how to defeat the superhero. In the meantime, Slug does his best to observe and spy on the demon, if only so he can figure out how to get the upper hand on his captor… even if it means tolerating the hero’s need for near constant affection.

Slug struggles to bite down on a sigh when he catches sight of White Hat from the corner of his eye, the demon descending down the stairs to join him in the laboratory. As much as the young delinquent despises the superhero’s presence, he forces himself to not snap at White Hat and demand that he be given some private time. However, Slug still keeps an eye on him, watching White Hat as subtly as he can. The hero seems… off kilter. Barely containing a smirk, the criminal focuses more attention on his captor, eager to monitor the demonic entity while he’s upset. It doesn’t matter why White Hat’s on edge- although Slug sincerely prays he’s not the one causing it, if only to save his own hide- all that matters is that Slug has the chance to collect data on the hero… after all, if White Hat didn’t want to get studied like a lab rat, he should’ve minded his own business and stayed out of the laboratory.

“Evening, Dr. Slug,” White Hat greets, his tone friendly despite his obvious discomfort. “How goes your experiments? Discover anything exciting?”

“You know, despite what TV wants you to believe, real science is a lot more about screwing up until something does what you want it to do than mixing pretty colored chemicals,” Slug admits, following White Hat’s example in keeping things civil; he likes to believe that he’s getting better at playing along with the superhero’s fantasy of having a happy family. “But if you’re really that curious, I haven’t done much; mostly testing equipment out to make sure everything’s in working order.”

“Still? It’s been over a week since you’ve been given lab privileges, my boy. I would have hoped you had done something else at this point…” White Hat points out, sounding almost… disappointed? Is he upset that Slug isn’t having more fun? No, can’t be; he probably just wants Slug to discover something amazing so he can use/take credit for it, that’s all! 

“I’m not going to risk doing any serious experiments until I’m absolutely certain that nothing down here is going to explode while I’m using it,” Slug says, all while dusting off his gloved hands on his lab coat, trying to rid them of dust and bacteria. “Besides, it’s not like it’s my fault you have so many gadgets; I want to see how everything works.”

“I suppose that’s fair… forgive me if I come off as a tad frustrated, my boy,” White Hat, to Slug’s bewilderment, apologizes, running a hand through his nonexistent hair, knocking off his top hat in the process, which reveals a white bowler hat underneath. “Oh dear, I’m sorry, I-” He kneels down to pick it up, flustered and shaky.

Slug beats him to it, picking up the top hat before White Hat can. The criminal pauses, half tempted to frisbee the demon’s hat as far away as possible, but the look on White Hat’s face makes him feel…  _ weird.  _ Averting his eyes, Slug willingly hands the hat back to his captor, feeling embarrassed and awkward. “Um… here you are, sir.” He mutters, face warm. Why didn’t he throw it? Just to avoid a spanking, or… yeah, that’s it! No other reason!

White Hat appears shocked at first, but not in a bad way. After a moment, he accepts the hat, placing it back on his head. “Hm… thank you, Slug,” He says, sounding just as surprised as Slug is. “That’s very…  _ kind. _ Perhaps you really  _ are  _ becoming a little gentleman, aren’t you?” He offers Slug a faint, warm smile, but even that gesture is dampened by his mood.

Okay,  _ clearly  _ this isn’t your everyday worry; something is seriously wrong. “Alright, spit it out, big guy,” Slug orders. He’s aware that he holds no real authority in this situation, but he hopes that his good behavior from earlier will convince White Hat to open up. “Something is clearly bothering you, and the last thing anyone needs is for you to blow your lid.” To further coerce the demon to relax, Slug sits on the floor cross legged, head tilted in mock curiosity.

White Hat hesitates, glancing between Slug and the staircase, quite obviously uncertain if he’s ready to share this information. Slowly, he seems to make up his mind, sinking to the floor and taking a seat in front of the young villain, face downcast as he thinks over his words. “I, um… as I’m sure you’re aware…” White Hat starts slow, unsure how to explain what’s on his mind. “A-As I’m sure you know, I have a twin… a twin brother; Black Hat. We haven’t gotten along in some time and, well, I’m sure you know how he is. He’s so… loud, and angry, and emotional, and oh so _ frustrating!”  _ He pauses, catching sight of the  _ ‘you mean exactly like you?’  _ look on Slug’s face, which has him blushing a fair amount. “I… I suppose those are some of the many ways we’re alike, at times.” He admits, embarrassed at the how similar they really are.

Slug bites back a chuckle, waiting for a break in the conversation to throw in his two cents. “So let me guess; your brother’s being particularly shitty right now?” He guesses, assuming that’s the case.

White Hat refrains from scolding his ward. “Not the words I would use, but yes, Black Hat is indeed being…  _ troublesome,”  _ He doesn’t repeat the curse word, even if it was mild compared to what he knows Slug can spit out at any given moment. “I want to believe what he’s trying to do is temporary or nothing to worry about, however it’s beginning to well and truly scare me.”

Slug makes a face, a bit concerned himself. “Wait, hold on, isn’t he retired, too? What the hell is he even doing that’s got you so shook up? I’ve got a feeling he didn’t steal your golf clubs or anything else that old, retired weirdos do.”

White Hat manages a chuckle, mouth forming a tired smile. “No, I’m afraid it’s… a tad more serious, my boy,” He admits, swallowing as he rubs his face, feeling exhausted at the thought of unloading his feelings, however Slug is obviously willing to listen, even if his reason for doing so is secretly selfish. “You see, my brother… you should probably just see for yourself.” With trembling fingers, he takes out the folded up newsletter, handing it to Slug, whose hands are thankfully much steadier than his.

Slug unfolds it on his lap, reading the letter over slower than he’d like to. Being so brilliant, Slug wants to believe he can easily blow through the letter within a minute or so, but it takes at least seven to eight minutes, his eyes squinted the entire time. This quite obviously worries the young delinquent, causing him to wonder if he needs glasses. He never needed them growing up, but it’s not unheard of for young adults to need them at his age. Quietly, Slug makes a mental note that once White Hat trusts him more and let’s him be around other people, he should talk the superhero into taking him to see an ophthalmologist, as well as maybe a family physician. Suddenly, Slug pauses, blinking as realization washes over him; is he seriously considering asking his captor to take him to an eye doctor? Over something so silly? And how can he even  _ imagine  _ asking White Hat of all people for something like that?

By the time Slug has shaken his train of thought off it’s rails, he remembers that White Hat is still waiting on a response. He hurries through the rest of the newsletter before handing it back to White Hat, hands shaking somewhat, much to his embarrassment. “Yeah, that’s…” He struggles with his words, weighed down both by the letter’s contents and his newly concerning daydreams. “Yeah, that’s not great,” He admits, feeling sick to his stomach, unsure of what to say. “So, um… what are you going to do about this?” He asks, because all personal problems aside, he’s interested in seeing what White Hat has planned.

In all honesty, some small, very vengeful part of Slug is leaping for joy, cheering and screaming at the many opportunities that have just surfaced. Black Hat is starting his own company? This is unprecedented- something no one could have ever seen coming- and the very idea has Slug shivering with excited goosebumps. If he could just get out of this hellhole and prove himself to Black Hat,  _ surely  _ the demon would take him under his wing, right? Slug can see it now; when he gains White Hat’s trust, he can find a way to incapacitate the hero, before dragging him straight to Black Hat himself. The supervillain will be so impressed, he’ll hire Slug right on the spot, and then the young delinquent can finally earn that sweet, long awaited supervillain title he’s always dreamed of having.

Civilians will fear him, superheroes will cower at the sound of his name, and fellow villains will bow before his power. So caught up in his daydream, Slug nearly misses White Hat’s response, but it’s thankfully enough to snap him out of it. “In all honesty… I’m not sure,” White Hat admits, tone more grave than the grim reaper’s. “If there are any heroes who still care about my opinion, I fear they will come to me seeking guidance… but what am I to do? How can I  _ possibly  _ stand up to my brother when he’s trying to indoctrinate as many villains as he can to his way of thinking? I have no idea if he’s been planning this for a long time or not, and if he has been, then I’m much too far behind to do anything about it! Good lord, what if he already has an army worth of criminals under his rule? What if-”

“-White Hat,” Slug cuts through the demon’s fearful rambling, making his voice heard. He sees an opportunity in all of this bullshit, and Slug is nothing if not an opportunist. “You need to calm down; if Black Hat is really forming an organization under his rule… why not just form your own?”

White Hat’s eyes widen in shock, head tilted as he looks to Slug for an explanation. “I’m sorry, but…  _ what?”  _ He questions, confused yet unabashedly curious.

Slug shrugs, standing up as he begins to pace; he feels as though he talks best when he’s moving, and he’s going to need to make a good pitch if he wants White Hat to follow his thinly veiled orders. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? Form your own organization,” He repeats, offhandedly circling his guardian with an air of mock confidence. “Oh sure, Black Hat’s got a head start, but everyone’s going to be expecting you to do the same as him; you  _ are  _ twins after all. I understand that most of the time that’s a disadvantage, but right now, you have the opportunity of a  _ lifetime,”  _ He pauses mid stride in front of White Hat, eyebrow raised expectantly. “How long have you been pushed around by other heroes, White Hat? How many times have you been treated like shit because you’re the strongest guy in the room?” He crouches, getting in the demon’s face to flash him a truly wicked grin. “What if I told you that, if you were to do this- to form a counter organization to Black Hat’s- everyone would have _ no choice  _ but to respect you?”

White Hat hesitates, appearing somewhat uncomfortable. “What do you mean they would have no choice? We’re not _ threatening them,  _ are we?”

Slug backtracks a little, thinking on his feet. “I didn’t mean it like that, sir,” He assures, throwing in that little  _ ‘sir’  _ to better manipulate the superhero. “What I mean is that, if you were to form a superhero organization like Black Hat’s supervillain one, even the capes that have thrown you under the bus would come crawling back to you for your protection and forgiveness. After all, once Black Hat’s got enough villains in his pocket, it doesn’t  _ matter  _ which capes want to get involved or not;  _ everyone  _ will be fair game,” He continues to stride around the lab a little, trying his damndest to act confident. “And then, before you know it, you’ll be back to being everyone’s favorite superhero! You were thrown out of the spotlight so soon, sir, you  _ deserved  _ to revel in it for longer; one little misstep shouldn’t have been your undoing,” Again, he stops in front of White Hat, arms crossed as he stares down at the kneeling hero. “So, White Hat? I’m going to ask you one last time; what are you going to do about this?”

There’s a long, pregnant pause, before White Hat swallows his anxiety the best he can. “I’m… I’m going to do just that, I think,” He decides, standing up on somewhat shaky legs, but he’s got a small smile now, the idea too appealing  _ not  _ to get a reaction. “Yes, I think that would be the… the  _ best  _ course of action,” He faces Slug, and before the delinquent can get away, the demon envelopes Slug into a bone crushing hug, tears wetting the villain’s lab coat. “Thank you, son… you have no idea how much I appreciate your advice. In fact, if you don’t mind the work, I think I could use a little more of your help, if you’re willing to give it, of course,” He ends the hug to step back a bit, quick to hold out his hand expectantly to his young ward. “How would you like to be the organization’s head scientist and coordinator? We can work out exactly what you’ll do as we go along.”

Slug openly smirks, feeling wicked and vicious as he takes White Hat’s hand, giving it a firm shake. “It would be an honor, sir,” He says through gritted teeth, his grin refusing to wane. “I look forward to making the world a better place.” He leaves out the fact that he doesn’t actually plan on doing that with White Hat, but hey, it’s not like the demon has to know until it’s too late!

White Hat beams with all the happiness of a proud father… okay, yeah, Slug needs to stop associating this useless cape with fatherhood; can’t be good for the psyche. “You know, you’re making me more and more proud with every passing day… to be honest, I was a tad fearful that you would never come around, but I truly believe that you’re on your way to becoming a kind, polite, and upstanding member of society.”

Slug resists the urge to roll his eyes. “I suppose I am.” He offers, not sure how else to respond to that. Deep down, he would love to prove himself a lost cause and finally be rid of this eccentric old bastard, but now he realizes that he can get so much more out of this deal than just another few months out of harm’s way.

Before Slug can break the handshake, White Hat suddenly yanks him forward, kneeling down to whisper into the delinquent’s ear. “And just so we’re clear, my rambunctious little pup, there will be no backstabbing within this arrangement, understand? You may think me a naive fool, but I am not so foolish as to believe that you’re the innocent little boy you’re acting like. I know full well that you’re planning something, but know this; you will  _ not  _ succeed. Either your plan will backfire entirely, or I will catch you in the act of treason, but in any case, you will be punished  _ severely,  _ and I don’t just mean a short trip over my knee. If you decide to betray my trust, I promise you that I will make you regret it,” Finally, White Hat backs off, but he keeps a firm grip on Slug’s wrist, strong enough to remind the boy of who he’s dealing with. “But it doesn’t have to come to that, son… you need only stay loyal and obedient, and I promise that only good things will come your way.”

Slug dry swallows, blushing bright red as he subtly struggles in White Hat’s hold. It looks like fooling this guy isn’t going to be as simple as Slug hoped it would be… no matter! Again, Slug is accustomed to adaptation, and he’s not going to let this oversized marshmallow try to intimidate him into behaving himself; it’s going to take a lot more than scary words to scare Slug Flys into following orders he doesn’t agree with. “Then I suppose it’s a good thing I’m not planning anything devious, sir.” He eventually responds, as he feels that silence would only satisfy White Hat, and that’s the last thing Slug wants to do.

White Hat all but scowls, not buying Slug’s act at all, but… well, he’s still intent on following Slug’s advice to make his own organization, and he’ll need the delinquent’s help to do it, so he can’t exactly afford to further interrogate his young ward. With great restraint, the demon nods his head in acceptance, at long last letting go of Slug’s wrist, watching as the criminal immediately leaps away from him, rubbing at his wrist as if it’d been burnt. Slug stares right back, looking into White Hat’s eyes to check for anymore of a reaction, but the demon, strangely enough, refuses to make direct eye contact with him, something that makes the villain very uneasy. Still, Slug continues to try and stare, until he’s watching White Hat ascend the spiral staircase, apparently done with the conversation. However, he pauses midway up the stairs, looking over his shoulder to address his troublesome young charity case.

_ “Please,  _ son,” White Hat says this in such a heartbroken, gut wrenching way… it has Slug feeling unintentionally guilty, something he hates with a passion. “I understand that you do not agree with me a majority of the time, and that you wish to become a supervillain of some kind, but I can tell you now, as someone who has been considered both a monster and hero, that a life in the limelight, with all eyes on you and no room for error… it is  _ torture, _ and something I would not wish on my most  _ hated enemy, _ much less  _ you.  _ Please, my boy… give up the charade you call villainy; it will only lead to your undoing.” He leaves soon after, not expecting any sort of response.

Slug swallows anxiously, waiting until White Hat is long gone to look back to the laboratory, wondering whether or not he should keep working. He really doesn’t feel like messing with the equipment, but he also doesn’t want to go upstairs right after getting into trouble with White Hat, so with great fatigue, Slug hunkers down under one of the tables, knees drawn up to his chest. He tries not to let White Hat’s words get to him- after all, White Hat is just a stupid cape, so what the heck does he know?- but they ring through his skull, causing a headache. Fitfully, Slug squeezes his eyes shut, wanting the guilt to disappear, but for whatever reason, it won’t. Why does he even care? Why does he feel so guilty for wanting to backstab White Hat? Slug’s never felt like this about anyone but his little brother, so he isn’t equipped to deal with it very well.

In order to rid himself of his queasiness, Slug decides to just… take a nap. It seems so childish- and when he’s already so close to sliding, it’s a terrible freaking idea- but fuck it; Slug is too upset to care. Lying on his side and closing his eyes, the criminal falls asleep, allowing his brain a much needed rest. After all, it looks like Slug has a lot of work ahead of him, and he’ll need all the sleep he can get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter than the last chapter, but considering how long the second scene got, I think it’s good to end here. BTW, this will be my last update for about two weeks, as I have personal things to attend to irl, so I apologize for the upcoming hiatus. See you all again soon, and thanks for reading! Please leave a comment if you liked it! (And now finally some rambling because I’ve got shit to say.)
> 
> 1\. I have no idea if “Hatson” is a real last name or not and in all honesty I could care less. If it is one, it’s incredibly rare, and I imagine it would confuse most people, as typical “son” names are “Wilson, Grayson, Robinson, etc”, and Hatson just sounds weird. I originally only used it as a placeholder last name for Flug and Slug’s legal names, as they don’t want to be associated with their biological parents, but now it’s full on Black Hat and White Hat’s last names lmao.
> 
> 2\. Bet y’all can guess who “Dr. REDACTED” is ;)
> 
> 3\. “The Wilhelm Scandal” isn’t a throwaway reference; if anyone remembers from “kept you sleeping and eating”, Wilhelm is Flug and Slug’s original last name, and the scandal is referring to when Slug outed his parents (primarily his mother) for a lot of crimes they committed over the years through the help of superheroes, which in the process put a lot of heroes behind bars and seriously shook up the way heroes vs villains politics are handled (something that will be brought up and further explained once we’re out of the flashback fics).
> 
> 4\. Slug’s daydreams about BH are 100% based off of Demencia’s own fantasy bits concerning her love for BH, but Slug’s is more obsessed with BH’s power and aesthetic than anything else. Yeah, he was a huge fanboy. Needless to say, Future!Slug understands the whole “Never meet your heroes (more like villains)” saying a lot better after meeting BH!
> 
> 5\. I think the next chapter(s) are gonna hint even more at Slug age-sliding/being close to it happening. At this point, it’s been about five weeks since he moved in, and he’s gone a very long freaking time without sliding, which is seriously weighing down on him. If he’s not careful, he’s gonna end up sliding in front of someone he shouldn’t.
> 
> 6\. So, if anyone remembers from chapter 1 (or was it 2?) I warned that I would at some point have a “violent spanking/beating”, something I regretted almost immediately, but I think I’ve got down how it’s going to happen, and it’s NOT going to be White Hat’s doing… yeah, I’mma let y’all wonder what I’ve got planned, but just know that White Hat isn’t going to viciously beat his kid; that was my original plan, but after writing more of the Heroic squad’s shenanigans, it just made me uncomfortable and it felt OOC, but at least now it’ll be a good opportunity for White Hat to protect his kid and further cement himself as a father figure.
> 
> 7\. Sorry for not writing Clementia more… I definitely want to include her more, but tbh this fic is more “Slug & White Hat” than anything else (although we might soon see everyone’s second favorite bear). Don’t worry, though; I plan on giving Clementia (as well as Demencia) more character development/explanation in a later fic.


	6. pains of the past and present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a flashback from the past, Sam struggles to try and be close to his mother, despite her abusive tendencies. In the present, Slug and Clementia get into an argument, but it's up to Slug to end it before White Hat gets back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Sorry for being gone for a bit on hiatus; my mom was visiting for a week, and I wanted to spend as much time as I possibly could with her. Now that she’s flown back to her place, y’all can expect me to get right back to writing for this series! Thank you again for being patient, and I hope you’ll enjoy this chapter!

Marching quietly through the downpour of spring rain, Sam keeps his head down as he’s soaked to the bone, having lent his umbrella to his little sister so her dress wouldn’t be ruined; she and dad are going to have dinner with the governor and his daughter, and for some ungodly reason dad made Florence wear her dinner dress to school, despite Sam’s warnings that it would rain. Sighing, the teenager ignores his nausea as he approaches the mansion he calls home. It’s not quite as big as some- certainly not as big as the one the governor lives in- but it’s large enough that it fills Sam with a sense of foreboding most days, as from afar, the house looks like the setting for a horror movie, especially when it’s overcast and pouring rain. Regardless of this, Sam tries to keep his spirits up, forcing himself to pretend that everything’s just fine; he’s just a normal kid returning to his normal house from his normal school. No big deal.

Ascending the stairs of the porch, Sam makes sure Florence is out of the rain before taking back his umbrella, turning back to the stone path to shake the water off. By the time his umbrella is reasonably dry, the family’s butler- Lewis Parker- has finally answered the door, the middle aged man looking Florence over for any mud before allowing her inside first. The minute Lewis lays his eyes on Sam, he audibly sighs, shaking his head in disappointment. Sam offers him a halfhearted shrug, deep down feeling at least a little guilty for causing trouble. Lewis holds up a hand to Sam, before retreating inside to fetch a towel, leaving Sam to try and hide his shivering on the front porch, silently praying that he won’t catch a cold… again; he needs to remind his parents to get Florence her own umbrella so she’ll stop needing his.

“Young Sam, you are nothing if not a thorn in my side some days,” Lewis begins his lecture the minute he’s within hearing range again, his voice irritated and biting. “I don’t know what has gotten into you, not using your umbrella when you so clearly need it!”

“Dad made Florence wear her dinner dress to school again, Lew. I couldn’t let her get it wet; dad would probably pull a muscle, he’d be so pissed,” Sam explains, sheepish once Lewis hands him the towel, which he vigorously rubs against his hair, making it into a fluffy, damp mess. “I  _ am  _ sorry, though.”

Lewis sighs, shaking his head, but this time Sam knows the butler’s frustration isn’t directed at him. “No, it’s fine. I shouldn’t be snapping at you like this… forgive me, it’s been a long day.”

Sam raises an eyebrow, genuinely curious, though he has a sneaking suspicion that he knows  _ exactly  _ what it is that’s burying Lewis in an early grave. “Mom had guests over again?”

Lewis grimaces, giving an exhausted nod. “Unfortunately, yes… it’s days like these that I wonder why I bother coming to work at all,” The man waits until Sam is dried off almost completely to let him in, fixing up the teenager’s hair once he’s within arms reach. “But then I remember you and your little sister, and I remind myself that you two would be lost without me.”

Sam chuckles even as he tries to swat Lewis’ hands away from his head, preferring his hair messy, but he knows that it’s better that Lewis fix it before his parents see.  “Well, you have my gratitude, Lew… we really  _ would  _ be screwed if you weren’t here to save our asses.”

“Watch your language, young man,” Lewis chides, gently swatting the back of Sam’s head, but he does it in a way that’s most assuredly playful. “Is there anything you need before I prepare dinner? As you know, it will only be you and your mother tonight.”

“So long as you’re not making clam chowder, I think I’ll live.” Sam jokes, feeling comfortable enough around Lewis that he’s alright with cracking jokes at the butler’s expense.

“Oh ha ha, very funny. You come up with that all on your own?” Lewis asks this mockingly, rolling his eyes at Sam’s jibe. “But seriously, Sam, do you need anything from me before I get to work? Heaven knows your mother won’t stand for my work to be interrupted.”

Sam hesitates, considering his question, before he let’s out a long, tired sigh. “… Do you, um… know where mom is? I need to talk to her about something.”

Lewis pulls a face, clearly surprised by the question. “Yes, she’s in her study. As usual. Is something wrong, Sam? You look pale. Are you in trouble at school?”

Sam shakes his head, not quite meeting the butler’s eyes. “No, I… I just wanna talk to her, that’s all.”

Lewis doesn’t seem convinced, but he isn’t willing to pry; he’s known Sam long enough to realize that nine times out of ten, prying only makes him less inclined to open up. “Very well then… you be safe, understand? If something is wrong, you can always tell me; I may work for your parents, but I would never tell them anything unless your life was at risk.”

Sam nods, offering Lewis the faintest of smiles. “I appreciate that, Lew… I really do. See you at dinner, okay?”

“Of course. See you at dinner, Sam.” Lewis agrees, before hurrying off to the kitchen.

Sam sighs with all of the fatigue of an old man as he hangs up his coat, feeling all kinds of nervous. With a great weight in his bones, Sam ascends the stairs, feeling more and more uncomfortable as he nears his mother’s office, or as he and Florence nicknamed it as children,  _ ‘The Dragon’s Den’.  _ Unfortunately, it didn’t earn that name in an endearing way. Although Sam isn’t really in trouble, per say, he’s still nervous on his way to the office, unable to quit his shivering, though he’ll blame it entirely on the rain. On his way there, Sam passes by Florence’s room. He pauses mid stride, taking a moment to watch his kid sister from the doorway, his back leaning against the doorframe in a nonchalant manner. Sat on the floor, Florence faces away from her doorway, a slew of books spread out around her- some are open, some aren’t- alongside parts for what can only be Florence’s latest invention. Sam cracks a smile at the sight, chest warm knowing that his sister is doing what she loves best.

“Ey, knucklehead,” Sam greets, tone suav and relaxed; a far cry from how he really feels. “What you workin’ on, huh? You making a time machine? A helicopter?”

Florence startles at the sound of Sam’s voice, swinging around to give her older brother an angry scowl. “Leave me alone, dude,” She orders, uninterested in dealing with Sam’s brand of teasing; she must have had a bad day at school…  _ again.  _ “I’m not in the mood.”

Sam resists the urge to keep teasing, aware that now apparently isn’t the time. “I’m sorry, buddy… didn’t mean to be a jerk. Seriously though, are you okay right now? What happened?”

Florence averts her eyes, fumbling with the screwdriver in her hands. “It’s… I don’t want to talk about it right now. I don’t wanna, like, end up crying before dinner with the governor; his daughter’s gonna tease me if she finds out.”

That has Sam even more concerned, but again, he knows better than to push the issue. “… If you’re so sure. When you get home, come get me, okay? I don’t care how late it is; I’ll stay awake so we can talk.” He all but orders, hoping that will be enough incentive to get his sister to open up to him later.

Florence nods, still not looking at Sam. “… Thanks, bro,” She murmurs, the smallest trace of a smile on her lips. “I think I’ll do that… you have fun with Mom tonight, okay?”

Sam chuckles at that. “I can sure as hell try,” He says, rolling his eyes. Before leaving, however, he gives Florence a wide smile. “Love you, sis.”

Strangely enough, Florence seems to shrink away at the sound of the nickname. “Uh… yeah, love you too, Sammy.” She mutters, appearing almost nauseous.

As much as Sam wants to question Florence about her odd reaction, he saves it for later. After closing his sister’s door- really, Florence needs to remember that if mom catches her tinkering, she’ll throw whatever she's working on in the trash and scream at her for acting  _ ‘unladylike’- _ he continues on his journey to the dragon’s den. To his discomfort, it’s not a very long journey, and before Sam knows it, he finds himself standing before the looming double doors of his mother’s office. He swallows around a lump in his throat, palms sweating as he stares down what he imagines to be the gates of hell… giving a weak shiver, Sam raises his fist, knocking on the door once, then twice for good measure. The longest pause follows, with Sam feeling smaller and less important with every passing second. Maybe he should just bother her later…

“Yes, who is it?” Sam’s mother’s voice rings through the door a moment later, on the cusp of irritation but hiding it incredibly well; were it not for the fact that they’re related, Sam doubts he would have noticed.

“It’s me, mom,” Sam mentally focuses on not stuttering at all costs. After all, he doesn’t want to get yelled at like Florence. “May I please come in?”

“That depends; did you get an A+ on your test today?” The mother doesn’t sound the least bit impressed nor surprised that it’s her eldest child approaching her, but at least she’s responding; that’s a good sign.

“Yes, ma’am,” Sam assures, quick to pull out the sheet of paper from his backpack; as promised, the top of the worksheet is adorned with a bright red  _ ‘A+’,  _ alongside an excited note that reads  _ ‘Impressive as always, Sam!’  _ from his teacher. Deep down, the teen hopes that this test will insure him an audience with his mother. “Would you like to see it?”

“Yes. Slide it under the door, would you?” She orders, the sound of her standing from her desk audible through the door.

Sam does as told, carefully sliding the thin sheet of paper under the doorframe. Through the door, he listens as his mother approaches him, stopping a few feet away to pick up her son’s test and look it over. Although Sam literally just saw his test, and knows it to be a perfect score, some part of him still feels a tad uneasy, scared that it won’t be enough to gain a few minutes of his mother’s time. For as long as Sam can remember, it’s been like this- you wanna see your mommy? You better have good grades to show her!- so he isn’t sure why he still gets nervous about it, but alas, that sickness has never really gone away. At the very least, Sam’s hopeful that this will be enough, and maybe if he’s lucky, his mother will show him a rare affectionate gesture; he hopes it’s a hug, and not just a pat on the head, but even that would be fine by him!

Soon enough, the door unlocks, snapping Sam out of his daydreaming. The door swings open with force, but Sam is fast enough to get out of the way, grabbing the door to keep it from cracking against the wall; he knows his mom sometimes doesn’t think about how much force she uses in her gestures, something that’s caused more than a few holes in the manor’s walls. “This is an excellent grade, Samuel,” The mother again regains Sam’s attention, this time with her words. “Very good indeed… I suppose you’ve earned yourself a few minutes.” Immediately she pulls out her phone, setting a timer before she gestures for Sam to enter her office.

Sam wastes no time, walking slowly and with great softness despite his excitement. Inside the dragon’s den, the office is tidy and neat, looking akin to a display in Ikea. However, photos and trophies breathe life into the otherwise decaying atmosphere, the walls adorned with several paintings and photographs of the Wilhelm family. To Sam’s knowledge, his family bloodline isn’t actually nearly as pompous as his parents, his mother and father being _ ‘self-made royalty’, _ as some have put it. Among the paintings, Sam catches sight of him and Florence Jr on occasion, but for the most part it’s all about his mom and dad, interspersed with appearances from famous superheroes and politicians, a few impressive characters being the last three presidents and the top heroes from the last two decades. Needless to say, when surrounded by his family’s short yet prosperous legacy, Sam feels the weight of the world on his shoulders.

And not two feet away, prim and proper, stands… well, who else would it be but Sam’s dear mother? Sam’s mother- or rather, Florence Sr- doesn’t seem that intimidating at a glance. For many years, Sam has been continually reminded that his parents don’t look nearly as powerful as they are, which honestly makes him want to laugh; that’s because no one else can see through the facade. Underneath layers of makeup, fine clothing, and beautiful jewelry, Sam sees a shark on the prowl, happy to gobble up the nearest piece of meat that’s available, be it fish or human, it doesn’t matter; food is food in her eyes. Florence Sr, although petite and slim, has the devil’s eyes, being a sharp, oak brown that look dead at a glance, while her long, luscious blonde hair curls like no tomorrow, tucked over her shoulder like a hand towel. In another life, and if she had been less cruel, Sam believes she could’ve made for an excellent actress.

“And what, pray tell, brings you into my office today, Samuel? Is here something you legitimately need, or are you only visiting to bother me?” Florence Sr’s voice sounds like the crack of a whip, unyielding and impatient beyond good reason.

“I, um…” Sam struggles, face warm as he sweats more than he’d like to admit. He knows deep down that his mother would never physically hit him, of course, but the threat of a tongue lashing has him shaky and uncertain. “I just, uh… wanted to see you, mom. School was rough today, and I… I miss you.”

Florence Sr all but rolls her eyes. “You miss me?” She repeats this mockingly, thoroughly amused by her son’s desire for affection. “How so? We live in the same house, don’t we? And I haven’t been away for business in weeks. What is the meaning of this nonsense? Honestly, Samuel, I had hoped you’d outgrown these childish desires by now!”

Sam averts his eyes, feeling silly after hearing it said like that. “Well, it’s just that… you’re always holed up in your office, and I miss eating dinner with you. Maybe tonight, we could eat in the dining room together? It’ll just be me and you, since dad and junior are going out for work, but that doesn’t mean we can’t spend a little time together, right? You could even work in the living room while I study!”

Florence Sr scrolls her phone for a few minutes, thoroughly uninterested, before pocketing the device, stopping completely to scold her son. “Samuel, I don’t know why you’re fussing over something so _ stupid.  _ What has gotten into you these last few weeks? This is the third week in a row that you’ve used the excuse of a good grade to come whining for attention, and quite frankly, it’s annoying, not to mention entirely too juvenile for a boy your age,” She glares wholeheartedly at her teenage son, her sneer irritated and cold. “Do you think I’m some simple housewife, Samuel? That just because I work from home, that means I have time for your shenanigans? Your father and I work tirelessly to keep up our image, and to keep you and your sister living in luxury. If anything, you should be coming in here begging to know what you can do to help!”

“Th-Then I’ll do that! I want to help if it means I get to make you proud!” Sam says eagerly, desperate for even a morsel of positive attention from his mother. “Please, mom, I really want to spend time with you! I’ll do anything, even organize your paperwork, or clean your office!”

“Ha!” Florence Sr laughs outright, shaking her head before her expression returns to being one of displeasure. “Samuel, that is single-handedly the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard you ask in your entire life! You, helping me?” She says this as if she didn’t just suggest it. “As if I trust you to feed yourself, much less organize my things! Do you know how you can help me, Samuel?” She waits until Sam is leaning in a little, looking like a kicked, yet hopeful puppy. “You can help by getting the hell out of my office and staying out. As always, you and your sister need to be more independent, and stop relying on your father and I for attention that you don’t need. In the future, I expect you to stay out from underfoot. If you come into my office again requesting such inappropriate things, I won’t hesitate to put you on another diet.”

Sam shivers, biting his lower lip to keep from crying. He can’t go through another diet so soon; he just had one last month, and he’s still trying to regain the weight. “I’m… I’m  _ sorry, _ mom,” He whispers, unable to stop a few traitorous tears as they slip down his face. “I love you, mom, really… please, can I just-”

“-Time’s up!” Florence Sr interrupts, holding up her phone to Sam, practically shoving it in his face; exactly fifteen minutes have passed, and not a second more. “Now get out of my office, Samuel Chester, or there’s going to be trouble!”

Sam escapes in a hurry, knowing all too well that continuing this conversation won’t end in his favor. In a panicked flurry, he jets out of his mother’s office, nearly tripping twice on his way to his room. He won’t go crying to Lewis- too obvious, and he feels as though that would be too juvenile- so he makes for his bedroom. Sam nearly slams open the door once he gets there, half scared to look back and see if his mother has given chase. Internally, Sam knows she hasn’t- mom has never gone after him before, why would this time be any different?- but that doesn’t do much to comfort him, the teenager quickly shutting the door once he’s through. He doesn’t lock it, just in case Florence Jr comes to him for comfort, but he still ducks into his closet. Opening the double doors, Sam finds his secret stash; a few blankets, pillows, a flashlight, his favorite books, and a backpack containing a few snacks.

The teenager sighs with relief once he’s in his secret spot, sinking to the floor as he draws his knees to his chest, pulling one of the blankets over his shoulders to act as a comforting shield before shutting the closet doors. After a few moments of prolonged silence, Sam searches his massive nest of blankets, soon finding one of his favorite novels. It’s only after getting through a few chapters that he manages to calm down a little more, shoulders still bouncing on occasion with repressed sobs, but at least the tears have stopped. Slowly, Sam lies down amongst his blankets and pillows, feeling tired to the bone, even as he tries to focus on reading instead. He really oughta stay awake- maybe do his homework before dinner- but Sam figures that a nap wouldn’t hurt… not like anyone has to know he’s taking one, anyways. It’s probably unhealthy, to sleep every time he cries, but Sam can’t bring himself to break the habit; not when it’s such a comfort after a rough day.

With the thunderstorm outside acting as pleasant whitenoise, Sam falls asleep. And if he dreams that, somehow, his mother might someday come to love him, then that’s his secret to keep.

…

Slug Flys takes the founding of the White Hat Organization in tremendous stride. As expected, White Hat is anything but a businessman, and therefore has no idea what the fuck he’s doing. Thankfully for the demon, Slug is well versed in business deals, having studied such things from an early age, and acts as a helpful consultant as White Hat begins getting his new organization off the ground. From minute one, they hit a roadblock; a lot of superheroes do not giving a  _ flying fuck _ what White Hat has to say, and frankly, it doesn’t matter that the world will end without the demon’s help, because they’d rather live in denial of the fact that they’re most assuredly going to die than resort to apologizing. Slug doesn’t let White Hat get too caught up in the drama, carefully coraling him away from the other superheroes unless absolutely necessary, which shouldn’t be for awhile. Until then, Slug works on paperwork and phone calls, making sure he contacts the right people at the right times.

This fascinates White Hat, who has taken to hanging over Slug’s shoulder as much as possible when the scientist is working… much to Slug’s irritation, obviously. Deep down, the delinquent has a feeling that White Hat’s  _ ‘curiosity’  _ is more like thinly veiled  _ ‘distrust’,  _ something Slug isn’t nearly as bothered by as most folk would be. After all, he’s well aware that he’s planning on backstabbing White Hat, but he isn’t so foolish as to do it this early in the game. No, Slug plans on legitimately (well, as legitimately as he can when he’s working with such dubious clients) building up the organization, but the minute he feels like it’s powerful yet still capable of being toppled over,  _ that’s  _ when Slug plans on overthrowing the demon’s empire, and claiming the victory he knows he deserves. Sure, that’s still a very long ways off, but in the meantime, Slug likes to think he’s got everything laid out fairly well.

Unfortunately, that’s made ten times harder when Slug has a dynamic duo made to bring about his insanity looming over him at all hours of the day, keeping the young criminal under control yet completely, utterly pissed off.

“Hello, sweetie!” Clementia calls out, her voice grating on Slug’s ears so much that he nearly drops his pen, the scientist embarrassingly enough caught off-guard by her sudden intrusion into White Hat’s office. “Sorry ta bug ya, but your daddy asked me to babysit until he gets back.”

Slug pulls a face, confused. “What are you…” He begins saying, all while he turns to look over his shoulder at White Hat for an explanation, but to his shock, the demon has disappeared from thin air. “What the!?” He stands up, head on a swivel as he looks for the superhero, but alas, it seems White Hat slipped away when he wasn’t looking.

This gets an amused giggle out of Clementia. “Hehehe!” She laughs, grinning from ear to ear. “Yeah, Whitie does that sometimes. Don’t worry, kiddo, your daddy will be back in a few minutes!”

Slug scowls, his surprise dissipating in an instant, replaced by disdain for the woman he calls a roommate (at least in front of White Hat). “That crackhead ain’t my dad, bitch,” He says, before turning his attention back to his paperwork. “Now how about you make yourself useful and get the fuck outta my hair?”

Within a second, Slug finds himself pinned, face pressed uncomfortably against the marble floor of White Hat’s office. “That’s not how we treat our friends, Slug,” Clementia scolds, her voice coming from above the villain; ah, so  _ that’s  _ what hit him. Slug was half scared he’d been shot, he was tackled so fast! “Come on, kiddo, please don’t be a butt. I wanna be your friend!”

“Have you ever considered the fact that being held against my will isn’t the greatest foundation for friendship?” Slug asks, tone dripping with sarcasm. “To be honest, I’d rather eat glass than be your friend.”

“Now that’s just plain mean,” Clementia still isn’t taking Slug seriously, much to the delinquent’s thinly veiled fury. “You know, being a jerk isn’t gonna do much for you here. If anything, it makes things ten times worse than they need to be.”

“If I ever stop being sarcastic, I will surely die. Either from boredom, or because the natural order has been screwed with.” Slug is nothing if not stubborn, hoping that continuing to be bratty will irritate Clementia enough to make her leave him alone.

Unfortunately for Slug, Clementia isn’t so easily swayed. In fact, she catches him completely off-guard; she laughs at his joke. “Hahaha! See? You can be funny without being too mean, sweetpea!”

Slug grits his teeth, tempted to growl, but he holds his tongue. “Whatever. Can I get up now?”

Clementia, again, giggles in response. “I dunno, can you?”

_ “Clementia, _ I  _ swear  _ to _god,”_ Slug actually growls this time, glaring wholehearted at his roommate from out of the corner of his eye. “Let me the fuck up, or I swear, I will  _ end you.” _

“Hm… nope!” Clementia isn’t nearly as intimidated as the criminal would hope, taking his bad attitude in relative stride. “Tell ya what; if you can ask me nicely, I’ll let you up.”

“And if I don’t?” Slug can’t help but ask; curiosity kills the cat, but he’ll always insist that the satisfaction will bring it back.

“Then I guess you’ll just be a chair forever.” Clementia offers, pulling out her phone and mock-scrolling it, feigning interest to grate on the boy’s nerves.

Slug huffs, rolling his eyes. “White Hat’s not gonna like that; he’ll be back eventually.”

“Yeah, _ eventually, _ but I have a feeling it’s gonna be awhile, and I doubt you wanna stay on the floor that long.” Clementia shrugs, not at all fazed by the threat.

Slug scowls. “I think you’re bluffing.”

Clementia smirks. “I think you’re mad.”

“…”

“…”

“… May I please get up?” Slug asks this through gritted teeth, tone deadly calm.

Clementia isn’t falling for it. “Ask that with a nicer tone of voice and I will. By the way, if you throw a punch, I have no reservations against telling your daddy.”

Slug snarls like a rabid wolf, eyes narrowed to thin slits. “He’s.  _ Not. _ My.  _ Dad.”  _ He repeats for what he truly believes to be  _ at least _ the hundredth time.

Clementia ignores him. “I’m not hearing a polite request; I guess you like living on the floor.”

Slug is about ten seconds away from clobbering Clementia to the best of his ability- which he knows isn’t that impressive, considering how scrawny he is- but instead of losing his cool, he closes his eyes, mentally counting to ten. Although Slug’s never dealt with someone this persistent on top of him, he’s fought enough school bullies and secretly wrestled with his little brother enough times to know how to deal with something like this. Waiting it out, typically, takes far too long, at least for Slug. No, if he wants out of this situation, he has three options. One, he can fight Clementia, but he’d really rather not get his ass beat by White Hat tonight. Two, he could walk away, but seeing as he’s pinned… yeah, not happening. And finally, three, he can calm himself down and just do what his opponent wants. He absolutely  _ despises  _ option three, but hell, it’s better than getting himself in trouble over something stupid.

“May I  _ please  _ get up?” When Slug asks this time, the fight is gone from his voice; he just wants off the floor. For good measure, he adds an apology, if only to end this game as soon as possible. “And for the record, I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier; it wasn’t my intention to lose my cool like that.”

In an instant, Clementia’s off of him, giving Slug the chance to stand up and dust himself off, doing his best to hide how angry he still is. “See? I knew you were capable of being civil with me.” Clementia says, almost as if her companion’s had a total change of heart.

Slug goes to roll his eyes, but stops himself; no need to kick the bear just because he’s out from under it. “Sure, whatever. Can I-” He pauses, rethinking his word choice. _ “-May I  _ please get back to work now? I’m very busy, and this paperwork isn’t going to do itself.”

Clementia cracks a smile, ruffling the criminal’s hair. “Sure thing, junior,” She agrees, quick to take a seat on the nearest couch in White Hat’s office, one hand pillowed behind her head while the other is used to play with her phone. “Let me know if you need anything, alright honey?”

Again, Slug has to keep from appearing annoyed. “Will do.” He says, before returning to his desk to complete his paperwork. By the time White Hat gets back, it will seem like nothing happened at all, and frankly, Slug can’t say he minds. After all, a bruised ego is better than a bruised ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems like Slug is adjusting well to all of this… especially considering all the crap he’s gone through. Thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed this, feel free to comment down below! It would really make my day!


	7. once a traitor, always distrustful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slug and White Hat meet a hero who gives them trouble, but the encounter leads White Hat on a search to discover more about Slug's mysterious and grief filled past. As the saying goes, once a traitor, always a traitor... right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, sorry for taking so long… unfortunately- or fortunately- the pilot has inspired me to write a fic for my main account, so that’s had me pretty busy these last few days. But don’t worry! I haven’t forgotten about this fic/series! Hope you all enjoy this latest installment!

“Before we can get started on our pitch, I’m gonna need a more civilian name for your paperwork; just need to keep a record of who we have and haven’t spoken with, I’m sure you understand.” Slug Flys explains, eyes somewhat droopy as he barely bites down on a tired yawn. He’s already exhausted, and the meeting’s hardly even started yet.

The hero grins with a shark’s smile, all teeth and malice despite her colorful outfit. “What’s it matter what my name is? Isn’t Rain Ribbon enough for you people? Honestly, I’m not even sure if I’m going to  _ join _ this little club of yours, so I don’t think I  _ want  _ to give you my name.”

Slug rolls his eyes, not at all amused by the superhero’s egotistical response; his fatigue is causing him to have even less of a filter than he usually does. “Look lady, either you give me a name to write down or I’m naming you myself, and I doubt you wanna be called  _ ‘Karen McCuck’  _ by anyone but your husband.”

“Slug,” White Hat warns, voice coming out just a  _ bit  _ threatening; he’s tired, too. “That’s not how we talk to people who we’re trying to befriend.”

Before Slug can answer, the interviewee cuts in. “It’s fine,” She says in a tone that makes it obvious that it’s  _ not  _ fine. “If you  _ really  _ need a name for your damn papers… call me Jane.”

White Hat has to bite his lower lip to contain his sigh of relief, mentally tuning out as Slug continues the meeting, asking Rain Ribbon an array of questions that the demon can’t even fake being interested in. It’s been, say, two months since Slug arrived? It’s hard to tell; White Hat’s been so busy for the last month, he sometimes loses track of the dates, but thankfully Slug has been keeping better track of them for him. On that note, Slug has been doing a lot of the work concerning the organization, something White Hat knows to be risky as all hell; Clementia’s told him as much no less than ten times. Still, the demon can’t help but crack the smallest of prideful smiles every time his young ward impresses him with his business knowledge, which isn’t all that hard, but still. Remembering this, White Hat flashes Slug a fond smile, not afraid to express his happiness, especially with Slug not looking at him, the delinquent too focused on making a sale to pay his guardian much mind.

Slug, thankfully, just continues rambling to the woman in front of him, animated in his explanation of what the organization has set out to do despite his exhaustion. If it weren’t for his mystical powers, White Hat has a feeling he wouldn’t be able to tell that Slug’s lying his ass off. Because make no mistake of it, White Hat  _ knows  _ Slug is faking it; despite how convincing and seemingly innocent the little criminal can act, the demon is far more aware of his shenanigans than the average person, as he’s dealt with this boy's kind before. Hell, there are times that Slug acts far too much like his brother  _ Black Hat _ for the hero’s liking, but not enough so that he poses nearly the same threat level. White Hat is fine with letting Slug pretend he’s some sort of undercover spy or what have you- he’ll let Slug play his little pretend game- but White Hat has a plan. It’s not as flashy or underhanded as the boy’s plans of infiltration must be, but the demon believes it to be more effective in the long run.

Sooner or later, Slug is going to learn the hard way that the villain community isn’t going to do jack shit for him, and when that happens, White Hat will be there to reinforce his support, and convince Slug to give up his villainous ways for the greater good; unfortunately, that’s most likely going to take longer than White Hat would like it to, and have many mishaps along the way, but he's more than willing to put in the time and effort to rehabilitate this mischievous little crook.

“-That pretty much covers the basics, ma'am,” Slug’s voice draws White Hat back into the conversation, apparently finished explaining something to Rain Ribbon that the demon missed. “The White Hat Organization is more than willing to open a contract with you, as your powers are rather…  _ interesting,” _ He bites back the need to cringe, clearly unimpressed with Rain Ribbon’s abilities; White Hat thinks it was control of the weather? Or just rain? He can’t remember. “However, we need to make sure you’re going to put the organization’s needs first, and not neglect your duties in the long run, so we'll be taking it slow with you if you were to join us.”

Rain Ribbon huffs, rolling her eyes at Slug. “Yeah yeah, sure,” She mutters, thoroughly unimpressed with Slug as a whole. “Are you forgetting that I’m the only hero who’s  _ ever  _ given Black Hat a scar? You should be  _ begging me _ to join.”

Slug damn near chuckles, but thankfully keeps a straight face. “Oh yeah? You scarred  _ Black Hat? _ So where’s the scar, huh? I'd  _ love _ to see it!” He says this do sarcastically, it's almost painful.

Rain Ribbon falters, caught off guard by Slug’s doubtfulness; she’s probably used to civilians praising her non-stop and considering her word to be law. “Well, he’s not here, so I can’t really  _ show it to you, _ now can I? You’ll just have to take my word for it.” She quickly backpedals, caught in the bluff yet trying to save face by acting nonchalant, as if she’s above needing legitimate proof.

“I don’t take anyone’s word at face value, ma'am,” Slug states, glancing down at his clipboard to flip through a series of notes. “But back to the subject at hand; are you willing to take one for the team if the situation arises or not? We can’t afford selfishness in our organization.”

Rain Ribbon sneers outright. “You’re gonna lecture  _ me  _ on selfishness? Don’t think I don’t know who you are,  _ Wilhelm.” _

White Hat raises an eyebrow, curious.  _ Wilhelm? _ Where has he heard that name before? In the meantime, Slug freezes like a deer in the headlights. Hell, he nearly drops his clipboard from shock, his voice coming out as a nervous stutter when he finally responses. “Y-You must be mistaken, ma’am,” Slug says, too shaky and nervous for him to be telling the truth. “M-My last name is Flys.”

“Ha!” Rain Ribbon laughs, thoroughly amused by Slug’s obvious discomfort. “As  _ if!  _ That’s the  _ fakest _ last name I'm ever  _ heard! _ Naw, I remember your face from Critman’s trial; you’re Wilhelm’s little bastard!” However, just as quickly as she became happy, the hero morphs to being furious, her glare piercing into Slug. “Don’t think we capes forgot what you did,  _ runt… _ you ruined  _ everything!  _ ‘Fore you came along, it was easy to do our jobs! Now we’ve got the UN givin’ us hell just for leaving our houses without permission!”

“It’s better than you corrupt motherfuckers beating politicians and extorting cops!” Slug insists, giving up on hiding his secret, though he keeps glancing at White Hat, something the demon doesn’t miss. Is he scared of White Hat discovering his origins? “I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d take his side; all capes are the same, aren’t they? And here I was hoping I could get you fuckers on track by making that shit public…"

Rain Ribbon stands up, absolutely seething. “Why you  _ little…”  _ In the blink of an eye, she slaps Slug across the face;  _ hard. _ She smirks as Slug falls backwards out of his wheely chair from the force, caught off-guard by the attack and left to sprawl out on the floor. “That oughta remind you of your place, you little rat!”

White Hat damn near snaps. Faster than sound, he catches Rain Ribbon by the wrist, twisting her arm behind her back as he looms over her, getting in the other hero’s face. “You do  _ not  _ hit my ward, understand?” He snarls, voice dropping to a terrifying growl.

Rain Ribbon is clearly dumbfounded by this, turning her anger on White Hat. “How can you  _ say  _ that!? He’s not one of us; he’s a backstabber! He turned on his own  _ mother  _ for christ’s sake!”

White Hat scowls, thoroughly unimpressed. “It’s my decision as to who I associate with,” He deadpans, marching the hero to the door. “We have decided that we will  _ not  _ be admitting you into our organization, Mrs. Jane. Have a nice day, and kindly stay away from my employees, or next time, the arm comes off.”

Rain Ribbon opens her mouth to say something, but White Hat just throws her out the door, the heroine landing in a heap on the floor. Clementia- who has been standing outside just in case something like this were to happen- gives White Hat a raised eyebrow, appearing unimpressed yet somewhat curious. “Already? It hasn’t even been thirty minutes yet.” She says, already crouching down to restrain Rain Ribbon, having heard some of the shouting through the door.

“Yes, well, she refused to be civil with Slug, so I see no need in trying to work with her moving forward,” White Hat explains, unable to hide his contempt for Rain Ribbon. “Please see to it that she’s removed from the premises as soon as possible… and please put a hold on our next interview; I need to make sure Slug is alright.”

Clementia smirks a little, much to White Hat’s embarrassment; can she tell that he's only angry because it's someone he cares about that got hurt? “Uh huh… sure thing, boss.” She promises, smile wide and amused, which only goes to further embarrass the demon.

Thankfully Clementia doesn’t pry, too busy roughly escorting Rain Ribbon down the hallway, mindful of the other heroine’s bad attitude. With the threat gone, White Hat breathes a sigh of relief, shutting and locking the door before turning to check on Slug. The scene he sees is, at a glance, not all that worrying, as Slug obviously isn’t too hurt- just sat upright on the floor, rubbing his slapped cheek- but the lack of tears has White Hat concerned. He knows Slug likes to act tough, but it  _ is _ admittedly troubling when he holds it all inside. Before White Hat can reach the boy and help him to his feet, Slug stands up on his own, not even looking at his guardian as he sorts himself out. Slowly, White Hat approaches, coming to stand by Slug’s side, but still, the villain refuses to look at him. Is he ashamed? Upset? It’s so hard to tell without making eye contact, something White Hat is beginning to think Slug has picked up on.

“… So why’d you kick her out?” Slug asks, finally breaking the silence. He doesn’t sound upset really, or even sad, just…  _ numb. _

White Hat doesn’t even hesitate. “Because she  _ hit you,”  _ He explains, making a move to brush his hand over Slug’s cheek, but the younger man side steps, avoiding the demon’s touch. “Oh,  _ Slug… _ you know I would never side with someone like her, right?”

“I… I  _ know,” _ Slug assures, still not meeting his eyes and still not letting his guard down. “But what she said, about me betraying my family… it’s true.”

“It sounds like your mother deserves to go to prison, if she truly did associate with people like Mrs. Jane and Critman,” White Hat says, visibly wincing at the mention of Critman; he remembers him uncomfortably well, and recalls how brutal and selfish he had been. Honestly, it’s a wonder he wasn’t labeled as the bad apple of the superhero community instead of White Hat, but the demon knows why that is; Critman was more popular than him, and therefore was better at gaining support for his egregious actions. “Besides, the past is the past. Lord knows that if we were all judged solely for what we did in our youth, I would be burnt at the stake for the things I've done.”

Slug manages a bit of a chuckle at that, but he still seems on edge. “Just… do me one favor then? Can you, uh, wait for me to talk about it? I just… I’d rather you hear it from me rather than the internet.” He finally- fucking  _ finally- _ manages to look at White Hat, eyes brimming with tears.

That look absolutely breaks White Hat’s heart. “Of course, Slug… I’ll wait until you’re ready.” He promises, even as he wonders what’s so upsetting that not even Slug Flys can handle talking about it.

Slug offers the demon the shyest of smiles. “Thank you… I really,  _ really _ appreciate that,” He says, before collecting his clipboard from where it fell on the floor. “So, how about another interview? It looks like, let’s see here… oh, the Steel ‘n Dagger Twins are up next! I heard they’re really agreeable, so long as they can work in the same environment together!”

White Hat wants nothing more than to pry for more information, but in the end he just grits his teeth and holds his tongue, not wanting to lose the little bit of trust Slug has in him. “That sounds good.” He lies, as he’d much rather do literally anything else, but for Slug’s sake he’ll just deal with it.

Again, Slug smiles, all while White Hat feels a deep guiltiness fill his insides. He knows he’s too curious to keep from doing his research… he just prays that, somehow, Slug never finds out what he’s about to do.

…

He shouldn’t be doing this. By all accounts, this is one of White Hat’s less recommended ideas, and really, he promised Slug he wouldn’t look into his past, but… well, curiosity killed the cat, and considering the fact that White Hat can’t die, he uses that as an excuse to snoop. Which is what’s brought him here, his phone in his hands while he sits in the basement with his ward. Slug’s distracted right now- hunched over a device that keeps beeping- so it’s not like he’s at high risk of getting caught… still, White Hat gulps as he begins his research. He starts off simple;  _ what was the Wilhelm Scandal? _ Immediately upon hitting enter, White Hat is bombarded by hundreds upon hundreds of articles; some are from obvious tabloids, while others are written by less deliberately selfish sources. After glancing up to double check that Slug is still busy, the demon draws a deep breath, opening the article by the same newspaper company that he gets his morning paper from, as he believes them to be more kind than most other companies.

_ [“The Wilhelm Scandal: How a Classic Case of Child Abuse Revealed a Web of Lies Spanning Three Decades. _

_ During the first week of October, the world’s single largest superhero scandal broke wide open, and many people are still struggling to understand what has happened, why it happened, and what will come of it. We at the Dove’s Post intend on answering all those questions, and more, in this news article covering the scandal. _

_ Q: What happened?  
A: On October 3rd, Samuel Wilhelm, aged eighteen, came forward to the public alongside Lucy Fur- a famed villainess- with a rather shocking amount of evidence that suggests that his mother, Florence Wilhelm the first, along with over one hundred registered superheroes, have been embezzling money from the government, kidnapping opposing politicians and government officials, committing tax fraud, murdering journalists, and much more. On top of that, Samuel has implied that his mother abused him and his younger sister, Florence Wilhelm the second, something that has not yet been confirmed by the police, or at least isn't public knowledge yet. _

_ Q: Why did this happen?  
A: According to Samuel Wilhelm, the one who has come forward with a majority of the evidence, he did this in order to finally put an end to his mother’s ‘reign of terror’ as he called it. It’s also believed that he is doing this as revenge for the rumored abuse he suffered during his childhood. When pressed further, Lucy Fur took over and stated that Samuel would not be accepting anymore questions regarding this. _

_ Q: What now?  
A: As of the writing of this article, it has been reported that Florence Wilhelm the first, as well as many of the named superheroes involved, have indeed been arrested on several felony charges, and their court hearings are expected to begin sometime later this fall. In the meantime, Samuel Wilhelm has been placed in protective custody while his mother and her accomplices await trial, for fear of him being harmed before he can stand as a witness. It is highly believed that he is staying with a villain, Lucy Fur being the mostly likely choice. _

_ That is all we have at the moment concerning the scandal; please check back with us later this week when we attempt to contact Samuel Wilhelm for an interview!”] _

White Hat feels his heart sink with dread, his brain finally remembering why the name Wilhelm sounded so familiar. Although he had been mostly uninvolved with Florence Wilhelm, he remembers her quite vividly; a ghastly woman with a glare that could melt icebergs, and a sneer that sent uncomfortable shivers down the demon’s spine. Shivering at the memory, White Hat feels even sicker with the realization of who Slug really is. So his real name is Samuel Wilhelm, huh? If it weren’t for the troubling way White Hat discovered it, he’d better admire the boy’s name, as it’s definitely got some weight to it, but he’s far too distracted by the memories of the scandal to pay names much mind. Dear God, White Hat remembers the scandal… what a  _ shitshow.  _ He was already retired by then, and seeing as he wasn’t directly involved, it didn’t hurt his reputation, but to say the scandal had upset the hero community would be an understatement.

For weeks, it was physically  _ impossible _ to go anywhere in costume without getting rushed by angry mobs or reporters, which were soon more or less the same thing. Hell, that scandal was one of the defining moments that caused White Hat to begin never leaving his mansion, as he hadn’t wanted anything to do with what was happening. Practically overnight, more than half the superhero population was behind bars and awaiting trial, while the other half were either clearly involved and being questioned, or flipping the fuck out due to confusion/anger. Still, as uninvolved as he was, White Hat can still remember the franticness of most every hero on the news, all of them desperate for answers and willing to blame anyone but themselves. The villain community, of course, had been ecstatic at the news, using the scandal as an excuse to complain about heroism in general, as well as drive up paranoia and fear in order to gain sympathy. Needless to say, White Hat had stayed the fuck out of it.

But now… White Hat glances up, eyes lingering on Dr. Slug, the young delinquent grinning as he works away on his latest invention, hips swaying a little to the music he has playing through his headphones. It's hard to believe that this quirky young man is a villain in the making with a record a mile long, much less the very bastard that brought down the likes of  _ Critman  _ within a mere  _ day. _ White Hat can't help but sigh under his breath, feeling unbelievably bad for his ward, as he can't even  _ imagine  _ the pain he's gone through. Having grown up more or less on the streets, and with no knowledge of where he and his brother came from, White Hat has no idea what it's like to have parents, much less  _ abusive  _ parents. Does it hurt worse than never knowing who they were? Worse than growing up alone? It just might, as Slug appears far more damaged by his childhood than his guardian, but then again, White Hat has only known him for a little over two months, so he might not know Slug as well as he wants to believe he does.

“Ey, boss… you doing alright?” Slug’s voice knocks White Hat out of his stupor, the young man glancing over his shoulder at his guardian. “You’re looking kinda pale… okay, you’re always pale, but you look freaked out as all hell. Something wrong?”

White Hat manages a smile, if only to reassure Slug that he’s alright. “I-I’m fine, my boy, just… feeling a little down, I suppose.”

Slug hesitates, before visibly softening. “It’ll be alright, boss. I know you’re worried about your bro, but I’ll make sure we’re ready to take him on.”

White Hat just nods, aware that telling Slug the truth would ruin the already strained relationship between them. When he doesn’t receive a response, Slug just shrugs, returning to his work. Again, White Hat sighs under his breath, unsure of what to do with his newfound information. Now he knows what brought Slug to become a supervillain in the first place; being raised by a cruel woman who used heroism as a shield to commit crimes, as well as dole out abuse, likely tarnished the idea of superheroes being the good guys in Slug’s mind. On top of that, it’s very likely that most superheroes turned on him the minute Critman was taken into custody, blaming him for the hero community’s problems rather than accept any of the responsibility, leaving Slug to be scooped up by villains who swore they had his best interests at heart. A lot of good that did, as Slug seems to be entirely on his own now, save of course for White Hat, but the young delinquent doesn’t see the demon as being in his corner just yet.

And honesty, who says White Hat  _ is  _ in his corner yet? The hero knows Slug to be incredibly untrustworthy, and he’s more than aware that the boy will at some point try to turn on him… after all, once a traitor, always a traitor. But… White Hat can’t help but continue to sympathize with Slug, even when his instincts and basic reasoning warn him that his ward is nothing but trouble. It’s not like Slug  _ set out _ to be hurtful, right? A true criminal never would have turned Florence Sr in to the police; they would have blackmailed her in order to get a piece of the pie, not throw the pie into a dumpster where it belongs! Although Slug has convinced himself that becoming a villain is the only way he can make any progress in his life… White Hat is certain that, deep down, a truly just and righteous hero lives inside of Slug’s soul, just waiting to be released. All the boy needs is a little encouragement, a bit of careful discipline, and before White Hat knows it, he’ll have an amazing young superhero living under his roof!

White Hat flashes Slug a smile at that thought, even though the criminal is too busy to notice it. It’s going to take some time before Slug is ready to make that leap- to renounce his title as a supervillain and become the hero he’s meant to be- but White Hat is willing to wait for it… no matter how long it takes.

…

It’s another few days before Clementia and White Hat have any time to themselves. It’s strange, being so busy after years of next to nothing happening, but they’re both more than happy with the work; it just makes their personal time all the more meaningful. Still though, it’s a bit funny that they find themselves spending their personal time the same way they did the day Slug arrived, with the two of them distracted by their phone/newspaper. Call it a lack of hobbies, or whatever else you can think of, but there’s something to be said for a friendship that doesn’t require any form of communication for the friends involved to have a good time and enjoy each other’s company. White Hat certainly appreciates it, having had a long day of interviews and spending time with Slug, who’s currently taking a much needed rest- not a nap, as the boy has insisted it isn’t, he’s just… resting his eyes- leaving the demon the chance to hang out with Clementia for the first time in several weeks.

“You seem awfully attached to our new addition, huh?” Clementia says this jokingly, her eyes never leaving her cellphone, and it’s enough to break the silence almost immediately.

White Hat pauses, having been midway through reading a newspaper article. He raises an eyebrow at Clementia, clearly confused. “And just what do you mean by that, love?”

Clementia rolls her eyes, chuckling under her breath at White Hat’s response. “What I  _ mean _ is that you’re a big old softie for him!” She stops, pulls a face, then laughs again. “Busting his butt isn’t exactly  _ ‘soft’, _ but you get my point; you  _ like _ him.”

White Hat can’t help but smile in return. “Well, of  _ course _ I like him; he’s incredibly intelligent, not to mention kinder than he let’s on. Given enough time, I truly believe he’ll become one of the planet’s greatest superheroes.”

Again, Clementia’s smirking, though this time it’s more mischievous. “Okay, let me reiterate, because you still aren’t getting the point; you  _ love  _ him.”

That gets a bigger reaction, with White Hat reflexively tearing his newspaper somewhat, earning uproarious laughter from his companion. The demon huffs under his breath, taping up the newspaper with a brief blink. “Th-That was uncalled for,” He mutters, trying to sound stern, but his stuttering gives him away. “W-Why would you even  _ suggest  _ something so… so  _ ridiculous,” _ He stands, beginning to pace in order to combat his nervousness. “Honestly, my darling, it would just be inappropriate of me to harbor such feelings for someone who would never return those feelings, and to have them for someone so  _ young? Unthinkable, _ much less acceptable.”

Clementia resists the urge to point out how strange White Hat’s crush on her is, as she certainly won’t be returning his feelings anytime soon, but she instead corrects the misunderstanding. “I don’t mean  _ romantically,  _ sweetie,” She says, standing up and pacing alongside her friend. “I mean  _ platonically. _ Come on, you treat him like your own kid, for crying out loud!"

White Hat chills out a little, somewhat relieved that Clementia hasn’t mistaken his feelings for something else, but he remains quite embarrassed. “I… I  _ see,”  _ He murmurs, avoiding his friend’s gaze. “I suppose I  _ do _ treat him as if he’s my…  _ legal offspring.” _

_ “Son. _ The world you’re looking for is  _ son,  _ dearest,” Clementia corrects, still smirking, but now it’s less teasing and more warm. “Come on, love, there’s nothing wrong with seeing him as your own kid! What’s making you so nervous?”

“I suppose I just… I  _ worry,” _ White Hat explains, eyes glued to the floor. “Things and people that I love tend to get hurt, or end up hating me at some point down the line.”

“I don’t hate you,” Clementia assures. “But I know that’s not what’s upsetting you, at least not completely… look, think of it like this; Slug  _ already  _ got past the hating you stage, so it can't get much worse than that! I mean, no offense, but I didn’t like you much either when we first met!”

“To be entirely fair, you had just survived a very traumatic experience… I wouldn’t expect  _ anyone  _ to be upbeat after what you endured,” White Hat sighs, shaking his head. “Even if Slug started out hating me… how can I  _ possibly  _ make him start to like me  _ now?  _ He’s made it  _ more  _ than clear that he doesn’t trust anyone, much less  _ me.  _ That boy is as stubborn as a mule, and just as uppity if rubbed the wrong way!”

Clementia shrugs, quick to pull out her phone and pull up something for her boss. “Look at this.” She orders, handing the other hero her device.

White Hat takes it immediately, squinting at what’s displayed on the screen. It looks like some sort of advertisement for an event. “A… model train convention?” He asks, rightfully confused. “Why is this important?” Because it really doesn’t seem to be all that important, especially considering the subject matter.

Clementia giggles, taking back her phone to show her boss how she even  _ found  _ the site. “It’s important because  _ Sluggy  _ was the one who visited the site first on our wi-fi; he likes trains. A  _ lot,” _ She smiles, checking the convention’s website for more details. “Lucky for us, the convention doesn’t start until next week, so you have time to, say, get yourself some tickets and clear your schedule? Ya know, Slug’s been working  _ super  _ hard on getting the organization going, it wouldn’t hurt if you did something nice for him and took him to the convention!”

White Hat hesitates, thinking about it. “Would it be  _ safe?”  _ He asks, deeply concerned for his ward’s safety. “We would be in an incredibly public area, and it would be easy for him to get away from me if it was crowded enough…”

“You want Slug to like and trust you? You gotta show him you’re willing to trust him, too,” Clementia explains, ever the voice of reason. “And besides, it’s not like he’ll be alone; you can go with him! It’ll be an awesome opportunity to learn more about his interests, and he’ll get the chance to stretch his legs and chill out!”

White Hat nods along with Clementia’s idea, unable to contain a smile. “That  _ does  _ sound quite marvelous… goodness, I haven’t been to a convention for nearly a decade! I do so hope Slug will want to go…”

Clementia grins, giving her boss a wink. “I  _ know  _ he does. Trust me, sweetpea, he’s gonna be  _ ecstatic!” _

“Then I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take him there… thank you, Clementia. I really do appreciate it,” White Hat smiles, making for the door, as he wants to ask Slug as soon as possible. However, he hesitates in the doorway, flashing his companion a concerned look. “But, um… what will  _ you  _ do that day? Will you be alright by yourself?”

Clementia rolls her eyes. “I’ll be fine, sweetie,” She assures, much more relaxed than her roommate. “You and Slug could use some quality bonding… think of it as a father and son sort of deal.”

White Hat hides his surprise with a mock scoff, though no amount of chuckling can get rid of the bright blue blush on his face. “Such a jokester, love… Slug isn’t my… my  _ son.”  _ He struggles a bit with the denial, his heart saying otherwise.

Clementia smirks knowingly. “Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that,” She winks again, skipping past White Hat to get out the door first. “Just try to have a good time with your son, okay? You two are stressed out enough.”

White Hat just stands there, blushing and flabbergasted, but before he can stutter out another denial, Clementia is long gone, her laughter ringing out through the mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for the late update, y’all… thankfully we’re right on track for what I’ve got planned next, but it might take a bit to get fully written, as I’ve got other projects I’m working on. Expect a one-shot to come out before the next update, it being a take on the pilot’s ending with my AU (a nice break from this fic, as well as some time with everyone’s favorite villains)! See you all then, and please drop a comment if y’all liked this chapter!


	8. feverishly keeping secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White Hat comes to tell Slug the exciting news, but unfortunately for both of them, it seems that Slug has caught a very bad cold! As if the fear of possibly missing the upcoming convention wasn't bad enough, White Hat's tender fussing unearths a memory Slug had long since forgotten, bringing with it a cocktail of emotions and anxieties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On this week's episode of “The Author Tortures Dr. Slug”, I bring you a ton of angst mixed with fluff… but let’s be honest, that’s basically my shtick at this point. Please remember to comment if you end up enjoying this chapter, as it would mean a lot to me!

Although Slug Flys doesn’t try to brag about it too often, as the last thing he wants is to appear as conceited and egotistical as his mother, he knows he’s very good at reading people. It’s a skill he’s harnessed over several years, mostly from having to read subtle body language and expressions from his family members. Mom and dad were hard to figure out when he was young, but by the time Slug was ten, he became excellent at telling what mood his folks were in, and as a result avoided getting into trouble with them as often. Slug also learned to read Flug fairly easily, understanding when his little brother needed space and when he didn’t, as well as knowing when something was wrong. All in all, Slug likes to believe he’s gotten good at understanding how most people work… then again, White Hat isn’t like most people, so he thinks he deserves a pass for not reading the demonic entity better.

Still, it doesn’t take a genius to know that White Hat is excited about…  _ something. _ Slug stays on edge as White Hat practically  _ skips  _ downstairs, joining him in the laboratory. Usually, Slug would ask his guardian for some privacy, but he has a strong suspicion that White Hat is here to tell him something important, so he makes an effort to set what he’s working on aside. The minute the demon’s feet hit the lab floor, Slug turns around to meet him, casually leaning against the table he’d been using just moments ago. The table’s low enough that it would make more sense to sit on it, but Slug resists the urge, too in tune with his own headspace to risk it. Secretly, the young delinquent is aware that he’s dangerously close to dropping soon; he’s gone too long without age-sliding, it being nearly three months since his last drop. Sooner or later, Slug knows he’ll snap, but he’ll keep it at bay for as long as he can… even if it means he has to deal with a headache today.

“Hello, Slug!” White Hat greets, chipper as ever, but something about his tone… he sounds even  _ more  _ excitable than usual. “How is my favorite scientist doing today?”

“I’m the only scientist you know,” Slug mutters, subtly rolling his eyes. As much as he wants to start an argument with his heroic guardian, he bites his tongue, not wanting to ruin the demon’s good mood too soon. “And I’m fine… busy as usual. Is there something you need, sir?”

White Hat makes a worried expression for all of two seconds before it disappears, the smile right back on his face. “Oh, well, I hate to bother you, but… well, you’ve been so good these last few weeks, I thought I’d give you a big reward for all your hard work!”

That definitely catches Slug’s interest, the man subconsciously tilting his head like a curious cat. “Really? What is it?” He  _ hates  _ how childish that sounds, but he can’t help but wonder what White Hat considers to be a reward. More free time? More stuff for his room? He certainly wouldn’t mind having a laptop set up in there…

The demon smirks, eagerly pulling out his cellphone. “Well, I noticed how much you like trains, and there’s a train convention coming to town soon…” White Hat explains, pulling up the convention’s website on his phone so he can double-check his information. “Yes, I believe this Saturday would be a fine time to go, as we haven’t got anything too important to attend to that day. We can easily clear the schedule, and if not, I’m sure Clementia would have no problem filling in for us while we’re away,” He flashes Slug a wide smile, eyes twinkling with excitement. “What do you say, my boy? Sound like fun?”

Slug hesitates, unknowingly taking a seat on the table while he brainstorms. Indeed, he’d absolutely  _ love  _ to go to the train convention, and he’s been wanting to for some time now. Suddenly, he pauses, wondering how on  _ earth  _ White Hat knows about the convention… on that note, how does he know that Slug likes  _ trains!? _ It’s not like he has a toy train collection anymore (he certainly wishes he did, but that’s not the point)! So how did… that  _ bitch!  _ Slug can’t help but scowl at the floor in frustration, well aware that Clementia is likely the one behind this. Has she been checking his search history? Probably, since White Hat can hardly unlock his own phone, much less check what people have been looking at using the manor’s wi-fi. Slug sighs under his breath, wondering what he should do. He’ll find a way to get back at Clementia later- maybe subtly steal something out of her room or screw up her hair somehow- but for now, he’ll focus on whether or not it’s a good idea to say yes to White Hat’s proposition.

As stated before, Slug definitely  _ wants  _ to go to the train convention, but… without a doubt in his mind, he knows that White Hat will tag along, too. He huffs, frustrated at the very thought. It’ll be  _ so  _ embarrassing, getting dragged around by his boss, but there’s always the chance that he could slip away at some point, maybe have a fun time despite his legal guardian being around. Of course, if Slug did that, he has a feeling White Hat wouldn’t take well to his little disappearing act, and that could mean a trip over the demon’s knee when they got home or- God forbid- he could end up getting spanked the moment he’s found. Slug shivers, dreading the idea. Okay, maybe running off  _ wouldn’t  _ be a very good idea, so he’d definitely be glued to White Hat’s side for the entire trip. Offhandedly, the delinquent looks up, locking eyes with his guardian, only to receive a warm, loving smile, which sends shivers down Slug’s spine.

“Are… are you  _ sure?” _ Slug asks, still not quite believing that White Hat would offer him something like this. “I mean, it’s a  _ convention.  _ There’s gonna be a  _ lot  _ of people,” He doesn’t know why he points this out, as this seems like a good opportunity for him to escape, but isn’t this something the superhero would already know? Why risk it? “Aren’t you, like,  _ worried  _ about that? At all?”

White Hat offers his ward an almost pitying smile. “Oh, Slug, don’t worry; I won’t lose you,” He promises, walking over to pat Slug indulgently on the head. “I’ll hold your hand the whole time, so you don’t get sucked into any of the crowds!”

Slug feels his face go red as a cherry, equal parts embarrassed as he is… _ relieved!? Seriously!?  _ The boy internally huffs, scolding his childish brain for being so… well,  _ childish! _ If he’s going to get through this convention, Slug will need to get a better handle on his headspace issues… unfortunately for him, two plus years of trying to break himself of it has done nothing to stop the problem, oftentimes just making things worse. Slug tried repressing it- and he still falls back on that most of the time- but repression only gets him so far, and the inevitable drops keeping getting progressively worse with each unintended slide. The delinquent shivers at the memory of his last drop, though it’s blurry; he remembers how fun it seemed to hide from his supervisor, and how he pretended he was a grizzly bear getting ready to hibernate. Slug had squirmed his way into the deep end of a storage closet, hiding behind several tall boxes while his very surprised correctional officer tried and failed to call him back. It took Slug falling asleep for the officer to get him out from there.

Slug doesn’t remember much after that… he’s pretty sure he was out of it for over ten hours, napping through most of it. He just knows that, when he woke up, his correctional officer had been incredibly angry and frantic, shouting something about how Slug’s condition changed everything… and then the next thing Slug knew, he was being handcuffed and muzzled, before being driven off to go live with White Hat. God, that had been such a  _ weird  _ day… again, Slug shivers, uncomfortable with the memories, so much so that he pushes them away, even when he knows that repressing it will make his next drop all the worse. He just hopes that this time he doesn’t piss himself again. Snapping out of it, Slug straightens, aware that White Hat is watching him with a concerned look on his face. Fuck, he needs to say something, but  _ what!?  _ Slug wants to cuss at his guardian- to punch him in the gut for  _ daring  _ to touch him- but he bites his tongue, knowing better than to get himself into unnecessary trouble.

Swallowing down his anxiety, Slug gives a weak nod to White Hat, hands clammy as he resists the urge to fidget. What’s going on? Why does he suddenly feel so  _ ill?  _ Sure, he was feeling pretty rough this morning, but he only threw up once! Why does he feel so warm? “Y-Yeah, that… that sounds like a lot of fun, boss,” He feels terrible, like lying down on the cold tile would be better than standing, but again, the boy forcibly keeps himself from doing so, hopping off the table to stand so he doesn’t feel tempted to lie down anymore, but that just makes him feel so much worse. “H-Hey, can I, uh, get some space for a bit? I’m… I’m  _ really  _ tired.” It’s rare that Slug would admit such a thing, but at least if he passes out now, he can blame it on exhaustion and not so annoying sickness or… or god forbid a  _ drop. _

“Slug? Slug!” White Hat wraps one arm around Slug’s torso, taking most of his weight, while the other frantically presses against his forehead. He huffs under his breath, worried. “Goodness, that’s hot!” He points out, concerned as he shakes the sweat off his hand.

Slug manages a halfhearted chuckle. “Ha… thanks, I try,” He mumbles, before he begins weakly struggling in his boss’s arms. “Can you put me down now, boss? I… I need my space.”

White Hat ignores him, deciding to just pick Slug up since the delinquent clearly can’t stand on his own. “You can have some space once we get you to your room; you’re too sick to work,” The demon decides, beginning to carry his errant employee upstairs. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice sooner. Heavens, you’re beginning to look paler than  _ me!” _

Slug averts his eyes, embarrassed, but he knows his body too well to try arguing with White Hat to put him down, as he indeed probably can’t walk at this point. Offhandedly, Slug wonders if this is one-hundred percent because of headspace issues… yes, he associates sudden warmth and dizziness with panic attacks, which almost always lead to a terrible drop, but something about this heat is different, the boy feeling sweatier and worse than usual. Slug nearly wants to kick himself once he realizes what’s wrong; he has a fever. How did he not notice? Okay, well, Slug knows the answer to that, believing this sudden sickness to be a cocktail mix of not remembering to eat and drink anything this morning, not getting enough sleep, and his lack of healthy age-sliding making him much less aware of his health. With great fatigue, Slug subconsciously lays his head on White Hat’s shoulder, longing for a little affection, but his brain scolds him immediately for it, resulting in Slug fitfully lowering and raising his head, over and over again, making him look like a fussy, tired toddler.

“Oh God, what happened?” Clementia sees the duo from down the hall once they get upstairs, running over to keep pace with her roommates. “Did he get himself hurt again? I keep telling you to double-check your surroundings, or else you’re gonna blow yourself up. Again.”

“Fuck… off…” Slug manages, trying to open his eyes and glare at Clementia, but his eyelids feel far too heavy to manage such a feit.

“He’s  _ sick,  _ darling,” White Hat explains, giving Slug a rare pass on his profanity. The demon leads the way up another flight of stairs, heading towards the delinquent’s bedroom. “I’m afraid he must have caught a cold, or something of that nature… I hope he gets better before the convention.”

“D-Don’t wanna miss it, though…” Slug nearly whines, feeling both the sickness and his age-sliding creeping up on him, the two problems teaming up to take him out, resulting in a somewhat delirious young criminal.

“You won’t; the convention’s not for another couple of days,” Clementia assures, offering Slug a surprisingly kind smile, considering how rude he is to her a majority of the time; in all honesty, Slug’s surprised she isn’t taking advantage of his disoriented state to tease him. “It’s gonna be okay, love… just need a little TLC and you’ll be back to your old, grumpy self.”

White Hat spares Clementia a look, looking almost…  _ guilty?  _ It’s hard for Slug to tell what’s going on, much less what expression his guardian is making. “Clementia, you know I adore you, but I think our dear friend needs a little space to recover… I’m sorry, dearest.”

Clementia doesn’t look the least bit offended. “Of course, of course… be well, hun,” She spares Slug an empathetic half-smile, giving his hair a quick ruffle before she bounds off. “Get well soon, kidlet; don’t know what we’d do if you keeled over on us.”

Slug doesn’t have anything to say to that, too busy feeling somewhere between conscious and dead; he’s stuck with laying in White Hat’s arm and dissociating. As a result, Slug is struggling to understand the situation as it progresses, as everything seems to be going impossibly fast or infuriatingly slow. The trip from chatting with Clementia to his bedroom seems to pass within ten seconds, if even that, while the door opening has to have taken three days at the very least. By the time they’re in his room, Slug is long gone as far as assisting White Hat goes, giving the demon free reign to do as he pleases while also offering no input. Although his body won’t work, Slug’s mind is still racing fairly fast, especially once he’s in his nice, air-conditioned bedroom, the ceiling fan on and bellowing. Quietly, Slug wonders what will happen next. After all, he’s very weak and powerless right now, meaning White Hat can do anything to him, and he wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing about it.

Will he be assaulted? White Hat doesn’t seem the type- he’s clearly in love with Clementia, and yet he hasn’t forced himself on her- but a lifetime of fearfulness and abusive adults has left Slug rather distrustful of people, willing to believe that anyone will take advantage of him if they’re given the opportunity. But… White Hat won’t hurt him. Here the hero is, presented with the perfect opportunity to assault and abuse his ward, and yet… and yet he  _ doesn’t. _ This puzzles Slug who, in his experience, has mostly only been hurt by adults who hold authority over him. Unless… is White Hat like _ Lewis? _ The boy nearly sobs at the very thought, overwhelmed by grief. It’s been so  _ long  _ since Slug has seen the kind butler, but unfortunately for him, he knows he’ll never see him again; Lewis died two years ago. Hell, Lewis’ death is what sparked Slug to run away with Flug in the first place, no longer seeing a reason to stay, now that the only adult who had ever cared for him was six feet under.

“Don’t worry, son. I’ve got you,” White Hat’s voice, very slowly, brings Slug out of his anxiety-fueled brainstorming, the superhero’s voice gentle and sweet, like music to the criminal’s ears. It’s strange to hear, to say the least. “It’s going to be alright, Slug… I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” The demon lays Slug down on the bed, hands hesitant as he takes hold of the boy’s turtleneck, but again, his movements are unsure. “Slug… I need to get you into some different clothes, as you’re wearing too many layers. I know your head hurts, but if you can hear me, please nod. I’m sorry, I just can’t… I can’t bear to do this without your permission. I swear on my life that I won’t harm you, son, but I need to see that you understand that. Can you do that for me? Just one little nod? Please?”

Indeed, his head hurts worryingly bad, Slug feeling as though concrete has been poured into his skull before hardening, making his head feel heavy and far too full. With great care, Slug manages the weakest of nods, eyes shut so he doesn’t see too much light. There’s a sigh from up above him, before the delinquent feels White Hat’s hands on him, the demon so incredibly  _ gentle  _ as he pulls off Slug’s turtleneck and jeans, leaving him only in his boxer briefs and a sweaty T-shirt, which is removed moments later. Slug wonders if he’ll lose his boxers too, or if he’ll be made to remain shirtless, but those worries subside as White Hat forces him upright, lying Slug’s heavy head against his chest while he wrestles a new, clean T-shirt onto the young man, unintentionally jostling him a fair amount as he does so. Slug doesn’t hold it against him, too tired to judge, and is just grateful that Clementia isn’t here to see him so underdressed, especially while in a disoriented state.

Once freshly dressed and tended to, Slug feels White Hat pick him up again, the sound of rustling covers cluing him into the fact that he’s about to be put to bed which, in all honesty, doesn’t sound bad at all. In fact, the thought has Slug yawning already, subconsciously nuzzling his face into White Hat’s shoulder. With the demon only producing body heat when he mentally makes an effort to, this leaves his skin fairly cold, and by extension his clothes. This is a nice little bonus for Slug, whose face still feels hotter than the sahara. Unfortunately, the boy isn’t given nearly enough time to cool his face off, as White Hat soon lays him down on the bed, tucking him in seconds later. Slug huffs, hating the weight and heat of the blankets on top of him. He hears a worried huff, before a majority of the blankets are pulled off, leaving Slug with only a thin sheet and quilt to keep him warm. He sighs his thanks, smiling despite still being in quite a lot of pain.

White Hat offers a chuckle, supposedly amused by Slug’s actions. “Much as I hate to see you sick, you’re certainly more agreeable in this state… still, I can’t wait to get you back to full health,” The demon pauses, the weight of his gaze making Slug confused… what’s wrong? A moment later, Slug feels a hesitant, careful kiss on his forehead. “Hopefully with you so disoriented, you won’t remember that… goodnight, Slug. I’ll check on you in a little bit, see if we can get some nutrition into your body to help fight off this dreadful fever,” The sound of footsteps lead away from the bed, stopping in front of what Slug knows to be his bedroom door. Again, White Hat pauses. “… Sleep well, son.” He offers, and while that’s still very sweet, Slug has a sneaking suspicion that the hero meant to say something else.

As much as Slug would  _ love  _ to wonder why the fuck his boss kissed his forehead, he isn’t given any time to do so, the fever in his body convincing him to let go and fall asleep, no matter how restless his brain may be.

…

When Slug wakes, the world feels…  _ fuzzy.  _ It’s not as bad as before, where he could hardly tell if he was breathing or not, but he still feels very sick. Sitting up a little, Slug groans through gritted teeth, his headache getting worse whenever he moves, as if a little man is inside his head, banging pots and pans against his brain. It takes a lot of self control, but Slug manages to stay upright, yet still leaning his back heavily against his bed frame. It’s while he’s rubbing at his eyes that Slug hears the door’s lock click, a telltale sign that someone is about to come inside. Against his bidding, Slug excitedly ducks back under the covers, not quite understanding why he did it. Why is he so energetic all of a sudden, yet still sick? Is this… oh lord, is he in headspace? He prays to god he isn’t. Before Slug can figure it out, the bedroom door finally opens, and in walks, as expected, White Hat, the superhero carrying a covered tray in his hands.

Slug feigns being asleep, but again, he doesn’t really know the reason, the action being a subconscious one. White Hat doesn’t seem to notice that Slug’s awake just yet, the demon silently walking towards his bed, footfalls impossibly quiet in an effort to not wake the young scientist. That gets a hidden smirk from Slug, who wants to laugh at how careful White Hat is being; he wishes he could stop with the sleeping charade so he can see how ridiculous his guardian must look right now. White Hat soon arrives to stands at Slug’s bedside, where he sets the tray down on the delinquent’s nightstand. Even with his hands now free, the demon continues to just… watch him. Slug subtly shivers, the weight of the creature’s gaze on him feeling heavy and strange. What’s going through White Hat’s head right now? Is he angry? Happy? It’s so hard to tell when he’s practically blind!

Giving up on the stupid game, Slug slowly opens his eyes, as if he’s only just now waking up. He stares up at White Hat, the hero looming over him like a curious animal. Slowly, White Hat offers Slug a small smile, which… okay, that’s pretty creepy. Thankfully, the demon catches on, quick to speak up and dispel the tension. “Good morning, Slug,” He keeps his tone at a low whisper, mindful of the headache his ward is still dealing with, which Slug appreciates. “Did you sleep well? You’ve been asleep for only about two hours, but I wanted to give you something to eat and drink before you continue resting,” He turns to where he left the tray, opening it and setting the cloche off to the side. He picks it up carefully, showing the contents to Slug. “Do you like it? It’s not homemade or anything, but I figured chicken noodle soup would help.”

Slug gives the platter a nervous look, stomach churning with discomfort at the very  _ thought  _ of eating. Although… that soup  _ does  _ smell pretty good. He sits up again, this time finding it a bit easier, and holds his hands out for the tray. White Hat doesn’t risk it, setting the tray down on Slug’s lap to avoid the possibility of it getting spilt. Slug huffs under his breath, scowling at the gesture, as it only goes to remind him that he’s in a debilitated state. It’s very rare that Slug allows himself to be in any way weakened, especially in front of other people, so to be forcibly knocked down by something he had no hope of preventing is frustrating to say the least. Subconsciously, Slug feels the need to curl in on himself, feeling small and helpless, which makes him  _ beyond  _ terrified. After all, White Hat is still blissfully unaware of Slug’s age-sliding issues, and more than anything the delinquent would like to keep it that way… but at this rate, it might not be a secret for long.

Gulping around a nervous lump in his throat, Slug offers White Hat a shy smile, unable to completely ignore that juvenile need to seek help. “Um… thank you, sir. I’ll eat it as soon as my stomach settles.” Slug hopes that acting grateful will convince the demon to get lost, if only to save him the embarrassment of being babysat.

Unfortunately for Slug, White Hat doesn’t seem keen on leaving anytime soon. “Would some water help? You must be incredibly thirsty,” He picks up a glass of water from tray, which Slug hasn’t noticed until now, and holds it out to the young criminal. “Here you are, my boy.”

Slug hesitates, his hands feeling shaky, but he’ll be damned if he asks for help; he needs to prove that he doesn’t need any sort of assistance! With very shaky hands, Slug takes the glass from White Hat, scowling when the demon moves to help support the glass. Still glaring, Slug tries to take a sip, only to fumble with the cup, sending water splashing down all over himself, the glass itself slipping out of his grasp. It lands on his lap, thank god, so there’s no fear of it shattering and glass getting everywhere, but Slug’s still left humiliated and very wet. White Hat gives Slug a pitying smile, which only goes to make him more upset. Thankfully, the demon doesn’t act  _ too  _ patronizing, carefully picking up the tray and setting it aside before he takes the cup and blankets away. It seems that White Hat’s earlier decision to take away most of the blankets has unfortunately backfired, as there was enough water in that cup to soak through the few blankets that had been on the bed, leaving Slug’s legs and crotch a damp mess.

Internally, Slug wants to sink through the floor due to his shame, but at the very least, he counts himself lucky that he’s wet with water and not his own urine. “It’ll be okay, son,” White Hat promises, incredibly gentle despite Slug having nearly broken one of his cups. “You’re still sick.. I shouldn’t have given you a glass cup to begin with.”

Slug huffs, crossing his arms as he looks away from his guardian, making himself look much more juvenile than he’d like. “Shouldn’t be this sick  _ at all _ , goddammit,” He mutters, frustrated with himself beyond good reason. “Weren’t for my shitty fucking immune system…”

“Now don’t go beating yourself up over something like this, Slug; you’re only human,” White Hat points out. He makes a move to pet Slug’s hair, but sensing his ward’s irritation, he settles for patting his back instead. “However, I ask that you please refrain from cursing.”

Slug ignores White Hat for the most part, tears of anger building up in his eyes. “You don’t _ get it!” _ He snaps, voice coming out louder than intended. Internally, he knows he shouldn’t be crying over spilled milk- well, spilled _water_ in this case- but he’s just so damn  _ frustrated!  _ “I’m not  _ supposed  _ to get sick, or be weak, or spill freaking water all over myself! I’m an  _ adult  _ for crying out loud!”

White Hat, not sure what else to do, picks Slug up, giving him a big hug in an attempt to comfort him. “It’s going to be okay, son,” He repeats, just wanting to make Slug’s pain go away. “Please, Slug, believe me… it’s okay to be sick, and it’s okay to be vulnerable. I know you aren’t doing these things intentionally; it was an accident.”

“There’s… there’s…” Slug trails off, mind lost to something from a long time ago.

_ “There’s no such  _ thing  _ as accidents, young man,” Florence Sr. declares, scowling down at a seven year old Sam with disgust and malice in her piercing eyes. “So disgraceful, making a mess… have you  _ anything  _ to say for yourself? Perhaps an apology for the butler for making his job harder? Honestly, sometimes I think you  _ enjoy  _ disappointing me.” _

_ Sam just cries in silence, unable to take his eyes off the giant puddle of water on the floor, shattered glass scattered amongst the mess. “It… it was an  _ accident, _ mama. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.” He manages, nearly choking on his tears, as the minute he opens his mouth, he starts crying even harder. _

_ Florence Sr. huffs, rolling her eyes. “Did I  _ not  _ just say that there’s no such thing as accidents?” She pauses, glaring viciously at Sam. “Well? I expect a  _ verbal  _ answer, young man.” _

_ “Y-Yes, ma’am… you did.” Samuel agrees, trying to rub away his tears with his shirt sleeves. _

_ “That’s disgusting, Samuel. Stop that this instant!” Florence Sr. snaps, smacking Samuel’s hands away from his face. “Now you are going to help clean this mess up, and then you’re going straight to bed, understand? I will  _ not  _ stand for a son of mine breaking things for no good reason!” She storms off soon afterwards, leaving her son to continue his sobbing. _

“Slug? Please, son, look at me!” White Hat’s warm, loving voice pulls Slug out of the nightmarish memory, his tone the exact opposite of Florence Sr’s vicious snarling. Once Slug has his eyes on him, the demon smiles, quite clearly worried, but knowing better than to pry. “It’s going to be okay, Slug… it was just an accident.”

Slug can hardly believe his ears- _ just an accident? But there’s no such thing!-  _ but nonetheless, he nods, too shell-shocked to refute the statement. Continuing to smile at his ward as if he could do no wrong, White Hat sets Slug on his own two feet, careful to support most of his weight so he doesn’t collapse. “See? Easy now, son… let’s get you into some dry clothes, alright?” He makes it sound so  _ easy…  _ it’s as if he really  _ isn’t  _ mad!

The young scientist feels the need to be wary, to be careful of even the smallest shred of kindness, but instead, he nods a second time, allowing White Hat to hold him. “Okay… okay, that sounds…  _ thank you, _ sir.” He struggles with words, finding everything overwhelming and, quite frankly, he’d rather be asleep.

“That’s my boy.” White Hat murmurs, and again, this sends Slug somewhere else… but at least this memory is much less horrible.

_ “Sam? Sammy, kiddo, why are you crying?” Lewis, very delicately, lays a hand under Sam’s wet chin, raising his head up ever so slightly to meet his troubled gaze. The butler breaks eye contact for only a moment, glancing down at the floor. His frown deepens upon seeing the big mess, glass shards scattered everywhere. However, upon hearing Sam’s breath hitch, Lewis gives the boy a halfhearted smile. “It’s okay, Sammy… I know it was an accident,” He kneels on the floor, pulling Sam by the hands to crouch beside him. “There there… don’t listen to what your mother says; it’s okay to make mistakes. Let me help you clean this up, okay?” _

_ Sam rubs at his eyes, his crying beginning to slow, if only a bit. “B-But… I made a  _ mess.  _ I was  _ bad.  _ Why’re you… why’re you being nice to me? Aren’t I… aren’t I  _ bad?” _ He asks, confused by Lewis’ kindness. _

_ Lewis has the most pitying smile on his face, but thankfully for him, Sam’s too distressed to be angry with him over something so minor, especially at his age. “Sam, you’ve  _ never  _ been bad. Not _ once,”  _ Delicately, the butler wipes away a few of Sam’s tears for him, such a love in his eyes the whole time. “Don’t even worry about it, son… we can fix this. It’s all gonna be okay.” _

_ Sam manages a nod, sobbing as he clings to Lewis, bawling into the man’s shirt. Lewis takes it all in stride, picking up Sam to hold him close to his chest, murmuring soft nonsense to the young boy as he calms the child down. Once Sam is calm, Lewis will help him clean up the mess- and by that he means that he fully intends to do it himself and keep little Sammy as far away from the shattered glass as possible- and then he’ll make sure the boy is in bed before his mother comes back… but for now, Lewis is more than happy to act as a stand-in father to Sam, rocking him gently until the boy falls asleep in the butler’s arms, momentarily free from the terrible situation that is his life. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote and edited this all within a day, so if this chapter has any errors, I’m very sorry; I’ll fix them later. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this fic, and are excited for the next chapter! I fully intended to write the start of the train convention this chapter, but I wanted some more build-up before that happens, as it’s definitely gonna be a big event… heheh, yeah, y’all are gonna hate me. Please comment if you enjoyed this chapter, it would really make my day!


	9. train of thought, upended - part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, y’all, here it is… the part of the fic I’ve been secretly thinking about for MONTHS now, and it’s finally here! This is gonna be an extra long chapter, and will switch POV’s for certain scenes, switching between White Hat and Slug. Hope y’all are ready, ‘cus I ain’t. Please enjoy!

By the time Dr. Slug has supposedly _‘recovered’_ from his fever, it’s Friday evening. White Hat uses the word supposedly for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that he doesn’t truly believe Slug is better yet. Well, that’s not entirely true, as White Hat understands that his ward has definitely fought off the worst of his flu, only having a slight headache and cough at this point, but that’s not what White Hat is worried about. No, he’s worried about how Slug was _behaving_ when he was sick, acting clingy and timid, almost… almost like a _small_ _child._ Months ago- two and a half, to be exact- White Hat had seen something very briefly in Slug’s soul, when he had locked eyes with the criminal while getting him set up in his new bedroom. White Hat nearly shivers at the memory of the event, remembering how strange it was to see such _innocence_ and _longing_ in the delinquent’s eyes, despite his occupation, and how those feelings seemed to be under several layers of trauma and repression.

Although he had certainly been troubled by what he’d seen, White Hat never brought it up to Slug, convinced his new guest would react badly to hearing such things. For awhile, that worked, and the hero nearly forgot all about Slug’s abnormal spirit… that is, until the little curiosity fell ill. It was during those couple of days, where White Hat cared for his sickly ward, that he began to realize how troubled the young delinquent really was, and how he couldn’t go on ignoring it. But… well, here White Hat is, still pretending to not know about what’s so obviously a major problem. Thankfully for all parties- or perhaps not so thankfully, as she would probably step in and do something about it- Clementia wasn’t given the opportunity to see Slug acting so out of character, having kept a fair distance from the criminal while he recovered from his illness; something about not wanting to get sick, and giving the scientist his space. Therefore it’s all up to White Hat to not only  _ do _ something about this, but  _ convince _ himself to do so, as the temptation to act oblivious is rather…  _ preferable. _

To White Hat’s relief, it’s been a quiet morning so far, so at least he hasn’t had to deal with anything else while he figures this all out… actually, on second thought, a distraction would be welcome right about now; anything but the feverish guilt and anxiety that has taken hold of the demonic hero. Sighing, White Hat abandons his current task- he’d been trying to read the newspaper, despite already having read it this morning, but he can’t quite get his brain to focus on the words- and makes his way towards the kitchen, intent on distracting himself with food. However, entering the kitchen, White Hat walks in to find none other than the subject of his current dilemma; Slug Flys doesn’t look up when his boss comes in, too busy fussing over something he’s working on. Curious, White Hat approaches slowly, looking over his ward’s shoulder to see what he’s working on, finding that Slug is preparing a large bowl of cereal for himself, despite it being rather late.

“What’s all this, Slug?” White Hat asks, tilting his head at the bowl of cereal, curious as to why Slug wants to eat  _ this _ instead of a more suitable dinner. “You're really making cereal? This late at night? Wouldn't you prefer something else? I could always make you something more… substantial."

Slug flinches-  _ hard-  _ caught by surprise by White Hat’s presence. He swings around, eyes wide with unprecedented terror, before he slowly relaxes, realizing who it is. “Oh, uh… hey, boss,” He gives the demon a small wave, still a bit uneasy due to the interruption. “What’s going on? Need something?”

White Hat pulls a face, concerned by Slug’s jumpiness. Sure, he’s known his resident criminal to indeed act skittish, especially when he’s been caught doing something he knows he shouldn’t be, but this… this is different, somehow. It’s almost as if all the bonding they’ve done over the past two months is all gone, and they’re right back to square one… or rather, square  _ negative _ one, as Slug is acting even  _ more _ fearful and unnerved than he did when he first got here! “N-Nothing,” When White Hat finally regains his voice, it comes out a tad shaky. He coughs awkwardly into his fist, trying to manually dispel his nervousness. “My apologizes, Slug, I had no intention of startling you… on the contrary, I only intended to see what it was you were doing, and offer my assistance if it was needed. That’s all."

Slug chills out a fraction, but even so, White Hat can tell his ward isn’t entirely calmed down just yet. “Oh… yeah, of course,” He seems to almost scold himself with his tone, as if he’s frustrated that he didn’t understand that to begin with. “Sorry, still a bit…  _ tired _ from the cold, ya know?" He suddenly freezes, regretting what he just said. “B-But that doesn’t mean I’m not well enough for the convention! I promise you, sir, I’m all better! See?” He tries smiling to prove his point, but it just makes him look desperate and nervous.

White Hat sighs, not at all falling for Slug’s promise. “You know, we don’t  _ have _ to go to this, Slug… there will be other opportunities to go to fun events,” He assures, not wanting the delinquent to believe that this is the end of the world. “If you’re unwell, we can always go to some other fun convention some other time!”

“But… but this is the  _ only  _ weekend this convention’s gonna be in our area!” Slug argues, sounding almost desperate. Is this convention really  _ that  _ important to him? “Please, sir, I’ve always wanted to go to this con; it’s the biggest train convention in the  _ world, _ and it only happens  _ once _ a year! I promise you, I’ll be on my  _ best _ behavior, and I won’t even cough once!” Almost as if triggered by the word, he let’s out a few unwanted coughs into his sleeve, blushing bright red from embarrassment afterwards. “… That was me getting it out of my system.”

White Hat feels terrible seeing his ward like this, wanting nothing more than to assure him that he doesn’t need to worry about missing this… but indeed, Slug has a point; the convention is only around for a short time, and this weekend is their last chance to attend until next year. It’s likely that at least some of Slug’s anxiety is being caused by the idea that he might not be living with White Hat much longer, and he doesn’t want to lose the opportunity to go… whether this is because he wants to experience this with his guardian, or because he wants to go to  _ this _ venue specifically, is unknown, but White Hat hopes it’s the former. But again, the demon isn’t sure Slug is truly well enough for something like this. Although he doesn’t have any solid proof that this is the case, White Hat fears that Slug is close to…  _ something,  _ like a mental break of some sort. It seems unprecedented at a glance, but considering how sudden it was that Slug fell ill, as if he was neglecting his health, and how he behaved during the duration of his illness… White Hat feels he’s justified in being concerned.

 

Snapping out of it, White Hat addresses the matter at hand. “Well… while I’m still concerned about your health, I find it would be a tad cruel to take away this opportunity after promising we would go,” He feels like he’s going to regret agreeing to this… but again, White Hat cares too much about not ruining this for the criminal to give his unconfirmed suspicions any say in the matter. “However, while we’re there, I expect you to stay by my side the entire time, unless of course I say otherwise. I want you to have fun, yes, but I want you to be safe, too.”

Slug beams, his smile almost enough to outweigh the heaviness in White Hat’s chest…  _ almost.  _ “Thank you, sir! Really, thank you!” He says, daring to hug the superhero. However, after only a few seconds, he seems to realize what he’s done, and immediately he let’s go, backing up a few steps to get some space. He looks unnerved, face flushed as he wipes his palms on his jeans, far too nervous considering it wasn’t even a big deal, at least to White Hat. “Um… sorry about that, sir,” Slug mutters, avoiding eye contact with his boss at all costs, too humiliated to do otherwise. “I wasn’t thinking… it won’t happen again, I promise.”

“Slug, you know I don’t-” White Hat tries to reassure Slug that he doesn’t mind- really, he wants to hug Slug at every opportunity for as long as possible, never letting go of the person he so desperately fears he might someday lose- but the delinquent doesn’t give him the chance.

“-Like I said, it won’t happen again, sir,” Slug repeats, trying to sound stern so that White Hat drops the subject, but as expected, he can’t even manage his usual authoritative rudeness, sounding like a paranoid teenager instead of a dangerous criminal. “But… again, thank you for letting me go to the convention. I’ll be up by five tomorrow morning, so we can get there before the big rush. We’ll probably end up being pretty early, but we can just hang out somewhere or something, I dunno,” He fidgets some more, not even looking in White Hat’s general direction at this point. “Goodnight, boss. See you in the morning.” Slug takes his cereal with him, eyes glued to the floor as he quickly exits the room.

White Hat is tempted to go after Slug- he knows his boy is upset about something, and he wants to play a role in fixing it for him- but he’s too tongue-tied, unsure of himself and his words. Sighing, White Hat gives the door a meaningful glance, feeling useless and confused… he wants to help, but he can’t figure out how he can. Hopefully this will be solved by the end of the convention, or Slug will come to him for help… until then, White Hat will watch his ward spiral out of control from the sidelines, all the while wishing he could convince himself to take the little criminal out of the game, and perhaps assure him that there’s no need to fuss and worry- that his guardian will take care of everything for him- but again, White Hat isn’t sure he has the power or means to do such a thing, too inexperienced with human emotions and problems to be of much help. Is this how a parent feels when their teenage kids won’t open up to them? White Hat is beginning to think that’s how it is, at this point.

He just hopes that his son sticks around long enough for him to find out.

…

Saturday morning, Slug practically leaps out of bed the minute his alarm clock goes off, tempted to dance around the room he's so energized. For as long as Slug Flys can remember, he’s always loved trains; something about the way the operate, the history behind their creation, the way they’re built… they’ve always entranced Slug, the thought of riding them more exciting than he’d care to admit, if only to spare his delicate, admittedly inflated, pride. Saving a majority of that giddiness for later, Slug tries focusing on getting himself cleaned up and dressed, but again, he keeps finding his mind wandering back to thoughts of the convention. Deep down, Slug knows he shouldn’t be going at all, as he’s worryingly close to dropping- it took all his control not to slide during the worst parts of his illness, and he knows the well of repression is running dry- but the temptation of finally getting a chance to visit this convention is too much. Sure, there’s always next year, but Slug’s been telling himself that for forever… he’s determined to make this year the one!

Hurrying out of his bedroom, Slug nearly slams right into Clementia. He skids to a halt, blushing as he realizes that he’d been legitimately running in the house; another obvious sign that he’s close to age-sliding. He shakes his head, trying to dismiss those thoughts, and focuses his attention on his roommate. “Morning, Clem,” Slug greets her politely, mostly having outgrown a majority of his frustration with her, viewing the unicorn-capped girl as a mere bystander or neighbor in this game of chess he has going with White Hat. “Um… what’s up? You need something? What’re you even doing up this early, I thought you hated mornings!”

Clementia smiles, but it’s clear from her expression that she’s still unbelievably tired. “Just wanted to see you and Whitie before you two headed out… you excited for the convention, sweetheart? I’m glad you’re still able to go, considering how sick you were just the other day.”

Slug shrugs, trying to come off as nonchalant, maybe even bored, in an attempt to seem more adult and refined. “I’m… relatively interested, I guess,” He continues the charade, rolling his eyes at Clementia. “Not exactly keen on the boss dragging me around like a fucking toddler, though.”

Clementia giggles, amused. “Aw, don’t worry, kiddo, I’m sure he’ll take you wherever you wanna go! Just gotta use your words, is all,” She ruffles his hair, subtly fixing it up for him, not that Slug sees it as anything close to helpful. “There we go… much better! You ready to be a little conductor? Choo choo!” She feigns pulling a train whistle, grinning all the while.

Slug growls outright, annoyed by Clementia’s teasing, but internally he can feel himself getting excited at the thought of pulling a train whistle. “Sh-Shut up!” He snaps, trying to sound as irritated as possible. “Can you maybe  _ not _ treat me like a kid for  _ once _ in your life?”

Clementia smirks. “I will when you stop being so fun to wind up,” She ruffles Slug’s hair again, quick to withdraw her hand when the boy tries to smack it away. “Oops! Gotta be faster than that, sweetie!” She jumps up, hovering in the air above her roommate, just out of reach.

Slug scowls, snarling under his breath, but he restrains himself from doing anything drastic. “Whatever, Clem,” He mutters, continuing down the hallway. “I’m not gonna let you piss me off… see you tomorrow.”

Clementia continues hovering, waving at Slug as he not so subtly storms off, damn near stomping his feet. “Aw, okay… bye, junior! Have a fun time, okay? Take lots of pictures!"

Slug’s tempted to throw something at her, but he decides against it. Again, he doesn’t want to start any unnecessary fights, preferring to stay on White Hat’s good side. After all, he promised to be well behaved- as childish and irritating of a promise as that was to make- and he’s not going to ruin his chance by picking a fight with Clementia… even if she  _ did _ start it. Huffing under his breath, Slug forces those thoughts away, trying to cheer himself up with his plans for the day. He’s glad that White Hat chose to take him on Saturday, as that’s the day most of the big events are happening, but he can’t help but secretly wish he could stay for the full three day weekend, as there are a few events and shows he’ll unfortunately miss. Slug bites down on a sigh, resisting the urge to cry; he  _ hates _ being so close to sliding, as it seems the smallest and most insignificant things will set him off, no matter how hard he tries not to freak out.

Walking into the living room, Slug freezes mid-stride, caught off-guard by what he sees. Standing eagerly in the living room, hands on his hips, is White Hat, though he’s dressed very differently than Slug’s used to. For as long as the criminal has known his guardian, he’s only ever seen White Hat in prim and proper clothing, typically wearing elegant suits and regal pajamas of some kind. Despite that being the status quo, it seems the demon has decided to upend his entire aesthetic, abandoning his gentlemanly clothing to dress like… well, a dad. No, he doesn’t look anything like Slug’s own father, who dressed in skin tight dancer's costumes and formal attire exclusively, but he certainly looks like the sort of  _ ‘stereotypical dad’ _ you’d see being made fun of on Facebook or Twitter. Blissfully unaware of Slug’s confusion, White Hat is decked out in a white T-shirt with Thomas the Train Engine on it, blue cargo shorts, long white socks, and… oh god, he’s actually wearing fucking  _ sandals, _ too.

“Ready for the convention, my boy?” White Hat asks, grinning from ear to ear at his horrified young ward, who’s been stunned to silence. Finally catching onto Slug’s surprise, the hero pauses, giving himself a once-over, to which he chuckles. “Oh, this? I figured I would be out of place in my usual outfit, and I didn’t want to embarrass you by standing out, so I looked into what most men that are physically my age wear nowadays. Pretty normal, right? Completely and utterly expected?”

Slug just  _ balks  _ at his boss, stuck between horrified, humiliated, and pissed; he settles on being off-kilter, unsure how to react. “You certainly look like… a _ person.”  _ He doesn’t know why he says  _ that  _ of all things, but hey, it’s better than just staring.

White Hat smiles, pleased with Slug’s response. “Thank you, Slug! I wanted to make sure I looked less formal so that you wouldn’t be uncomfortable. But enough about that; are you excited for our big weekend?”

“Weekend?” Slug’s eyes widen, heart hammering with anticipation. “Does that mean we’re going to be there all three days?”

“Of course! I saw that they still had three day passes available, and I didn’t want you to miss out on anything exciting, so I made sure to get us some! And don’t worry about having to do several long car rides each day; Clementia helped me book us a hotel, so that way we won’t have to make the three hour drive there and back every day!” White Hat seems just as delighted as Slug by the news, grinning happily at the villain. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, son, but I wanted it to be a surprise! Is that alright? Will you be okay for all three days?”

Slug smiles right back, unable to keep up his cool guy routine. “Heck  _ yeah!” _ He shouts, pumping his fist in the air. He freezes, much like he did last night, and retreats into himself a little, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket to keep from doing something like that again. Averting his eyes, Slug blushes, embarrassed beyond belief. “Um… sorry about that, sir,” He murmurs, sounding far too small for his tastes. “So, are we gonna go soon? Please? Gotta beat traffic, after all.”

White Hat pulls a face, clearly concerned, but doesn’t draw attention to Slug’s slip-up, which the delinquent is unbelievably grateful for. “Of course, of course… I already packed our things, we can head out as soon as you’d like.”

Slug nods, still not looking at his boss. “Thank you… I’m ready to go now, sir.”

White nods right back, making for the front door. “This way, then… we’ve a very long drive ahead of us.”

…

It takes just over three hours for the duo to reach the hotel, the car ride eerily silent. White Hat tries more than once to start a conversation with Slug, but the criminal’s monotone, short replies make for a mostly one-sided conversation, and not even White Hat is stubborn enough to keep up that sort of charade. He tries offering up a few interesting topics, like pointing out animals and buildings that catch his interest, but again, Slug is intent on keeping entirely to himself, staring longingly out the window. By the time they reach the hotel, White Hat is relieved to be free of the cage that was his minivan, letting out a long exhale as he parks directly in front of the hotel lobby, handing his keys over to the nearest valet boy. In the meantime, Slug subtly tries to unload the van himself, openly struggling with the two suitcases inside the trunk. Noticing this, White Hat runs to be at Slug’s side, grabbing hold of the heavy suitcases for his ward.

“Easy, son, I’ve got it.” White Hat promises, not at all perturbed by the suitcases weights, as he’s carried far heavier things in his lifetime.

Slug huffs, looking away and rolling his eyes. “I could’ve gotten them myself,” He mutters under his breath. When he notices White Hat about to grab their mostly empty backpacks, he snatches them up first, giving the demon a subtle scowl. “Come on, boss… ain’t gonna look good if you’re carrying all our stuff, now is it?”

Before White Hat can respond, the valet boy circles the van, double-checking that the duo have gotten all their things out before he parks their vehicle. “You two all set back here?” The valet boy inquires, just to be safe.

White Hat nods, pushing aside his concern with Slug to appear in good spirits for the hotel staff member. “Yes, I believe we have everything we need! Thank you ever so much for your assistance today, sir.” He hands the man a small tip, trying to be as polite as possible.

The valet boy takes well to that, offering White Hat a genuine grin. “And thank  _ you _ for staying with us here at the Beldam Hotel, señor!” He climbs into the driver’s seat, but before driving off, the man rolls down the window, calling out to the customers one last time. “Oh, and I hope you and your hijo have a wonderful vacation, señor!” With that, he takes off into the parking garage beside the hotel building.

Slug scowls outright, growling under his breath. “Son of a-” He pauses mid-sentence, noticing the look White Hat is giving him. “… Jerk. I was gonna say jerk.”

White Hat sighs, shaking his head. “We can talk about it once we’re in the hotel room,” Upon seeing the panicked look on the villain's face, he backpedals a fair bit. “You’re not going to be punished, my boy… I only intend to discuss things, before we get the day started. Now come along, we’d best get settled so we can eat breakfast before the convention starts.”

White Hat leads the way into the hotel lobby, half tempted to hold Slug’s hand, but with both hands occupied with the suitcases, he can’t. The hero approaches the front desk with thinly veiled relief, glad that he's early enough that there isn’t a huge line to get signed in. “Good morning, señor, and welcome to the Beldam Hotel, the least haunted hotel in Mexico!” The secretary greets White Hat with an enthusiastic grin, awfully cheery despite how early it is.

“Did she say  _ least  _ haunted hotel?” Slug asks in a hushed tone, leaning up on his tiptoes to whisper to his guardian. “Sounds like this place has been used for one too many ouija board sessions.”

“Hush, son,” White Hat whispers, before giving the secretary a big smile of his own. “Good morning to you as well, ma’am! I’m here to claim a reservation under the name  _ ‘Hatson’  _ please!”

“Hatson? Just one moment, señor, I’ll be right back!” The secretary hurries into the backroom, where White Hat can only assume the room keys are being kept.

“Hatson, huh? Pretty odd last name, boss,” Slug points out, smirking deviously at the caped crusader. “When’d you make that one official? The sixteen hundreds?”

White Hat opens his mouth to lash back that  _ ‘Wilhelm’ _ isn’t exactly the most original of last names, but he holds his tongue, conscious of the fact that Slug doesn’t know about his secret research into his background yet. “Yes, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time… and for your information, I made it my official last name in seventeen-twenty three.”

Slug chuckles, amused by White Hat’s comeback, but before he can fire off one of his own, the secretary returns, a bright smile still glued to her face, but this time somehow  _ more _ cheerful. “Sorry about the wait, señor! Here is your key; thank you again for booking with us as a premium guest!” She hands the demon two room keys, waving to him before attending to the next guest.

“Premium guest? You really went overboard for this, huh?” Slug sounds both impressed and a tad skeptical, confused by the hero’s apparent pampering.

White Hat shrugs, tempted to ruffle Slug’s hair, but as there are quite a few people beginning to file into the lobby- seems they barely outran the morning rush- he refrains from doing so, settling for a soft pat on the shoulder instead. “For you, nothing is too high a luxury… and besides, it’s not like I don’t have money to spare.”

Slug nods, expression still puzzled. “Yeah, about that; you ever gonna tell me how you ended up a millionaire? I get the strong suspicion you didn’t invest in bitcoin for your fortune.”

Secretly, White Hat finds that question a tad intrusive, but he doesn’t voice it out loud. “Just got lucky, I suppose… thousands of years doing odd jobs and occasionally working full-time certainly fills the bank account, especially when a great deal of that goes into stock.”

Thankfully, Slug doesn’t ask anymore questions, which White Hat is relieved by. The duo hurry to the elevators leading upstairs, as their suite is on the top floor. Once inside the elevator, and after swiping his card key to even have  _ access _ to the top floor, White Hat catches Slug looking around nervously out of the corner of his eye. He pauses, concerned for the young criminal. “Slug? Are you quite alright? You seem…  _ unnerved.” _

Slug averts his eyes, a deep blush overtaking his face. “Um… truth be told, boss, I’m not exactly one for, um… _ high places,”  _ He gives the big  _ ‘Floor 42’  _ button a hesitant look, subtly gulping with fear. “There’s no, uh, balcony or anything, right?”

White Hat can’t keep from wearing a loving smile, and as they’re in the privacy of an elevator, he doesn’t feel as inclined to hold back, quick to set the suitcases down and hug Slug close. “Oh, Slug… there’s no need to worry. Even if there is a balcony, I’ll keep the doors to it locked, and we’ll keep the shades drawn when you’re awake, alright? You needn’t worry, son; I’ll protect you.”

Slug huffs, looking away in shame. “Whatever… I’m not  _ that  _ scared, just uncomfortable with being twenty something stories off the ground!” He tries acting tough as usual, but oddly enough doesn’t pull away from White Hat like he usually does when being comforted.

White Hat chuckles, secretly delighted that Slug, seemingly, is accepting his affection. “Of course, of course… oh, look, we’re here!” He pulls away- somewhat reluctantly- and picks up the suitcases again, leading the way through the doorway once the elevator doors open.

Although the young delinquent is excellent at hiding his emotions a majority of the time, White Hat revels in the loud gasp Slug let’s out, stepping slowly into the room, almost as if he can’t believe he’s allowed to be in such a fancy hotel room. In all honesty, White Hat’s been in far more luxurious establishments, but he won’t say that out loud, wanting the villain to enjoy this. Even if it isn’t perfection incarnate, the hotel suite is certainly impressive, having a large space that takes up what would usually be three hotel rooms, but instead is one ridiculously big one. There’s a nicely sized living room that White Hat can only assume is typically used for room parties, but he’s sure he’ll find some use for the large flatscreen, cough, and two armchairs. To the left of the entrance is a surprisingly large kitchen, considering this is still a hotel, that’s fully stocked with kitchen appliances. To the right is the bedroom, which Slug immediately takes off into, curious as a young kitten or monkey.

White Hat smiles at the sight, following after his little curiosity. The bedroom is only a bit smaller than the living room, holding two king sized beds, two nightstands, a desk, and a comfortable looking armchair. Off to the side, White Hat can see the door to what he assumes to be the bathroom, which he knows to have a full bathtub and shower. However, that’s not as interesting as the scene before him, White Hat wishing he had a camera to record this. Slug has set the backpacks completely aside, and is lying face down on one of the beds, seemingly unresponsive, but the hero can just make out the occasional twitches in his ward’s shoulders, the boy’s laughter muffled, but there. After a few seconds of just watching, White Hat sets the suitcases aside, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. Slug rolls over to face his boss, a wiry grin on his face, and the two of them lock eyes for all of a few seconds. _ It’s that child-like innocence again, this time more intense, more real, more close, more- _

“-Boss?” Slug snaps out of it first, eyes watering just a tad, but not enough to suggest a full soul gaze occurred. “Boss, what’s wrong?”

White Hat blinks, shaking his head to break out of the trance. “Slug? I, you…” He blinks again, noticing that Slug’s equal parts concerned as he is confused. Sheepishly, the demon smiles, trying to dispel the criminal’s worries. “My apologizes, son… just got caught up in the moment, I suppose.”

“What  _ moment?” _ Slug comes off as quite irritated, catching onto the fact that his guardian is keeping some sort of secret from him. “Seriously, boss, what’re you hiding from me? Why do you always avoid eye contact with me?” He pauses, looking deeply at White Hat’s face, huffing when the superhero shifts his head to avoid eye contact. “Come on, what’re you even  _ doing!? _ White Hat, I’m starting to think y-”

_ “-Enough, _ Slug. It’s nothing. Please drop the subject,” White Hat is firm on the matter, not allowing the villain to get a word in edgewise. When Slug just keeps glaring at the demon, he sighs, frustrated. “I mean it, son. Keep this up and you’re going to be sitting on a sore backside for the rest of the trip.”

Slug’s eyes widen a fraction, before he averts his gaze, scowling at the floor. “Well excuse  _ me _ for asking questions,” He mutters under his breath, crossing his arms with a huff. After a beat of silence, he glances almost skittishly at White Hat. “So, um… what do we do first?”

White Hat, although he knows this conversation is far from over, appreciates the brief change in subjects. “Well, I think we should have breakfast first, just so we’re fully energized and ready for the day. Does that sound alright with you?”

“I thought you needed sleep for energy, not food.” Slug points out, arms still crossed stubbornly across his chest.

“It is indeed sleep that I need, however you are a human, and humans need to eat to survive, as I’m sure you know,” White Hat cracks the weariest of smiles, ruffling Slug’s hair indulgently. “Don’t fret, son, food won’t kill me or anything. It's just unnecessary, that’s all.”

“I wasn’t worried about it, just confused,” Slug pretends as if he doesn’t care, feigning apathy. “I’m ready to get food whenever you are, boss… so long as it’s soon, please. I don’t wanna miss anything big.”

White Hat nods, standing up from the bed and stretching. “Good idea… come along then, son. We’d best be off.”

Slug hesitates for a few seconds, reminding White Hat that he’s still upset, before standing, heading out the door before the hero can. White Hat watches him go, feeling sick to his stomach. He knows it isn’t good to keep secrets from the young villain, and that his soul gazing abilities will probably be revealed sooner rather than later, but he still feels uncertain about exposing himself to the boy. Don’t get White Hat wrong- he deeply loves and cares for Slug, even if he sometimes doesn’t show it in the best ways- but he isn’t sure that he’s prepared to show his ward all of his dirty laundry. The delinquent has already made it clear multiple times that he believes his guardian to be, at least to some degree, unhinged, and White Hat is terrified of inadvertently confirming that through a soul gaze. How will Slug to react to that sort of experience? Will he hate White Hat for who he is? Who he  _ was?  _ Will he resent the demon for looking into  _ his _ soul during the exchange?

White Hat shivers, repressing the thoughts as best he can. He needs to focus, and not let his feelings get in the way of his and Slug’s vacation… he’s determined to make sure he and his ward have a good time, but as he walks with him out of the suite and back into the elevator, all he can think is that he’ll somehow mess everything up, and ruin what was meant to be a lovely vacation.

…

Despite popular opinion, Slug Flys is not as good at awkward silences as he let’s on. Yes, he has oftentimes caused them, but he’s never been good at dealing with them, either blowing up at some point to break the tension, or getting fed up and storming out of the room. Unfortunately for him, he can’t do either of those things. Slug can’t shout, as he knows White Hat wouldn’t stand for such inappropriate behavior- curse the demon’s heavy handed discipline- and he can’t run either, as his boss has made it very clear that he needs to stay close to him for the entire convention. Slug bites down on a sigh, glancing between his plate of food- fried eggs, toast, and several pieces of fruit- and White Hat, scanning the hero for some clues. Deep down, the criminal knows that this tension isn’t  _ entirely _ his doing… he certainly helped make it worse, that much he’ll admit, but he didn’t initiate the confrontation. No, this is all about what’s going on in  _ White Hat’s _ head… and Slug has a feeling it has to do with the whole eye contact thing.

No matter how much he’s tried to keep eye contact with White Hat, Slug has been denied the opportunity countless times, often only keeping it for a few seconds, or having to sit back and watch as the superhero does everything in his power not to lock eyes. At first, Slug assumed White Hat was just socially awkward, and while that’s a very likely theory and something that holds legitimacy, he’s known the demon too long now to continue being treated like a stranger, especially when White Hat has no problem holding eye contact with Clementia. Internally, Slug stews on his many theories, one in particular standing out now that social anxiety has been debunked; this likely has to be a superpower. What the power is, Slug has no godly idea. He’s done a fair amount of research on the  _ ‘Hat Twins’, _ and from what he can find, the more social/mental powers are White Hat’s expertise, so it’s not like Slug can look at Black Hat’s history to see what the power might be… not that the villainous twin is unable to have such an ability, but still!

Letting out a long exhale, Slug all but pouts, feeling somewhere in-between big and small… to his thankfulness, he’s leaning more towards big, as the subject matter is adult oriented enough to keep him from sliding. “Slug?” The villain jolts, startled. He glances up from his plate, meeting White Hat’s gaze for all of a few seconds, before the demon focuses on Slug’s hoodie instead, much to the delinquent's frustration. “So sorry to startle you, my boy. It’s just… you’ve hardly touched your plate. What’s wrong, son?” White Hat, at the very least, sounds genuinely concerned, and not just because Slug is his responsibility.

Slug bites on a huff, wanting to roll his eyes. “I’m pissed at you,” He decides to be blunt, as he hates dancing around this, especially when he still doesn’t know what this is even about! “Why won’t you look me in the eyes, White Hat? Am I really  _ that  _ repulsive to look at?” Internally, Slug feels sick at the thought, but he can’t rule out that option just yet.

White Hat looks absolutely  _ heartbroken, _ a look that is all too familiar to Slug; it reminds him of Lewis, something that makes him feel small again. “I… Slug, I’m sorry if I ever made you think that was the reason I struggle with eye contact,” White Hat is quick to reassure the young delinquent, eyes brimming with tears. “It’s not you, son, it’s just… I struggle with it, that’s all.”

Slug let’s out the angry exhale this time, scowling somewhat at the demon. “Bull,” He says, matter-of-fact in his tone. “You can look Clementia in the eyes; why can’t you do the same with me? I have a feeling it’s got something to do with your powers, is that right? What’s the point in hiding this from me?”

White Hat averts his gaze to the floor, contemplating his words carefully. In the meantime, Slug watches him like a hawk, reading the hero’s expression for any hints, but again, this only resurfaces nostalgia-  _ Lewis is standing before him on the couch, Sam and Florence Jr. sat together, side by side, holding hands as tightly as possible. “I'm sorry to tell you both this… but I have cancer.” Lewis is straight to the point, but no matter how formal he sounds, his fear is evident, even to a teenage Sam. _

_ “How long?” Sam asks, hardly able to be heard over Florence Jr’s immediate sobbing, the little girl latching onto her brother like a lifeline. _

_ “How long have I had it? The doctor says over a year, possibly two,” Lewis answers, still staring at the floor, which Sam hates with a passion. He wants to be looked in the eyes when he receives the worst news of his life. “But if you’re wondering how long I have… to  _ live,” _ He struggles now, his fear of the unknown silence that is death horrifyingly obvious. “Two years. Three if I’m extraordinarily lucky.” _

_ “I-I’ll find a c-cure for you, Lewie!” Florence Jr. hiccups out, her voice worn out and terrified, trembling when she tries to speak. “D-Dad says I can s-someday cure c-cancer… if I just w-work really hard, m-maybe-” _

_ “-Shoo, sweetheart… do not stress yourself with such a high task,” Lewis orders in the softest tone possible, cracking a shaky smile for the child's sake. “It’ll be alright, my little darling… I’ll do the chemotherapy, just as instructed, and I will be around for as long as I am able.” _

_ “But… what do we do?” Sam feels so sick and worthless, like he should be able to fix this mess, but he can’t for the life of him figure out how. “Mom and dad are gonna help pay for your treatments, right?” When he’s met with silence, the teen’s eyes widen, horrified. “They… they won’t?  _ Why!?”

_ “Now, son…” Lewis is calm, despite more or less being on death’s door; all at once, Sam realizes why Lewis has been balding, and he mentally kicks himself for teasing the poor man over it. “There are some things that not even money can fix… this is one of those things. And besides, heaven knows your parents are… too busy for a man like me.” He looks away, something in his eyes appearing betrayed and angry, but it’s gone before it can become obvious. _

_ “I don’t want you to die, Lewie!” Florence Jr. shouts, jumping up and running at the butler. She hugs him around his legs, crying into his slacks. “Please,  _ please _ don’t die!” _

_ “Sweet little darling…” Lewis scoops Florence Jr. up, holding her close and subtly rocking her in his arms. “It’ll be okay, my dear… I’ll be here as long as I am able, but no one- not even those superheroes and supervillains- can avoid death forever… the reaper comes for us all, and unfortunately for me, he's coming a tad early, not that it can be helped. I suppose someone on the other side must… miss me, that’s all.” _

_ “T-Tell them to wait!” Florence Jr. orders, but her sobs begin to lower in volume a tad, the girl continuing to hug Lewis for dear life. “… I’m s-sorry this is h-happening, Lewie.” She murmurs, completely and utterly defeated. _

_ Lewis chuckles, pressing a small kiss to Florence Jr’s forehead. “There’s nothing to apologize for, dear… I’ll admit, I am a little scared, but it's going to be okay; I’m ready for it.” _

_ Sam, in the meantime, doesn’t believe Lewis for one second. He continues sitting on the couch, watching as the only adult he’s ever trusted comforts his baby sister, feeling overwhelmed with a sudden jealousy, wanting nothing more than to be picked up and cuddled as well, but that’s quickly overridden by anger, specifically directed at his parents. How could they have let this happen? Didn’t they notice the signs? Sure, Sam and Florence Jr. certainly didn’t, but they’re still kids! They shouldn’t be expected to notice! But now, looking back on it, Sam can recall many times when Lewis was uncharacteristically forgetful, or seemed unwell, or ran a hand through his hair only to pull out more strands than what would be expected… did no one notice that he was slowly dying? Did mom know? Did dad? Sam, unable to stop himself, begins to cry, feeling useless and stupid and burdenful. How could he have let this happen? Goddammit, he’s Samuel Wilhelm, the child prodigy! He’s supposed to be better than this! _

_ “Sammy? Sammy, son, look at me,” Sam looks up, eyes wide with wanting, more tears falling when he sees the depressed look on Lewis’ face, tears dripping down the butler’s face. “Oh, son… come here.” _

_ Sam leaps up, arms outstretched as he runs towards Lewis, ready to hug him and never let- _

“-Dr. Slug?”

Slug snaps out of it, shaking his head as he comes back to himself, where he realizes his arms are stretched out towards his boss. He shoves his hands in his pockets immediately, blushing fire engine red. In the meantime, White Hat is staring at him with an incredibly worried look on his face. “Huh?” Slug eventually asks, shaking his head a second time, as if he can shake off how unsettled he feels. “What… what happened, sir?" Because he honestly can't remember, the last half hour now a blur for him.

White Hat opens his mouth, but pauses, apparently changing his mind before he even speaks. “We were… discussing our plans for today!” He says, offering a shaky smile.

That…  _ doesn’t _ sound right. Were they  _ really  _ only discussing the convention? What triggered the memory with Lewis, then? Slug would love to brainstorm and try to remember, but the fear of returning to that dark moment of his life has him thinking better of it. “Um… okay, I guess,” He mutters, averting his eyes to the floor. “If you say so, boss.”

White Hat smiles a little more genuinely this time. “That’s my boy,” He chirps, giving Slug’s plate a weary glance. “Make sure to have a few more bites at least, okay? Can’t be running around on an empty stomach.” He returns to eating his own food, oblivious to- or rather, unwilling to address- Slug’s inner turmoil.

The villain swallows around a lump in his throat, feeling nauseous at the very  _ thought _ of eating… maybe if he subtly hides some food under the table, White Hat will stop pestering him? It’s a shitty move, and Slug usually wouldn’t do such a thing, both to avoid looking childish and to respect the restaurant staff, but he feels like this is an understandable exception. He only hopes White Hat doesn’t catch on.

…

Entering the convention center, White Hat feels himself go pale (well, paler than usual). To say that it’s larger than expected would be an understatement. Now, to make things clear, it’s not that White Hat has any ill feelings about trains, or thinks they’re a childish interest, but in all honesty he didn’t expect so many people to be  _ this _ interested in locomotives! The convention center- a mall that’s been rented out, the stores either locked or redesigned to house train exhibits, and is at least three floors tall- is absolutely  _ packed _ with excited convention goers, adults and children alike enthusiastic as they run around the building, checking out and discussing large displays that involve trains. From what White Hat can gather, the top floor is the children’s area with hundreds of toy train displays and kid friendly play areas, the second floor is all about the history and establishment of trains, and the bottom floor houses a few actual train carts, with several open to public exploration.

Thankfully for White Hat, this isn’t his first rodeo- or rather, his first convention- as he recalls attending a handful of anime conventions with Clementia over the years, though those were very rare and far in-between. Even without that experience, White Hat isn’t as unaccustomed to crowds as one might imagine, as he went to many large events with his brother as a teenager, mainly being rock concerts (he chuckles at the memory of when Blackie tried crowd surfing, only to immediately regret it) and festivals. The hero sighs, smiling at the memories of his youth… oh, how young and foolish he once was, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t miss that innocent time of his life, where his only concerns were surviving to tomorrow and staying close to his brother. Shaking his head, White Hat snaps out of it, relieved to see that Slug hasn’t run off while he was daydreaming, still standing with him and overlooking the crowded mall. Glancing at his face, the demon’s surprised to find that Slug almost seems…  _ nervous. _

Subtly, White Hat grabs Slug’s right hand with his left one, keep an admittedly tight hold on the young criminal. “Easy, my boy… it’ll be alright,” He assures, voice gentle. “Just stay close to me, and all will be well.”

Slug manages a scoff, glaring at the floor. “Don’t baby me.” He orders, harsh and agitated. Although the delinquent will never admit it, White Hat suspects he’s upset about how many people are here, but is trying to play it off by acting arrogant.

White Hat rolls his eyes, careful to make sure Slug doesn’t see. “Don’t get snappy with me, son… let’s try to have a fun time, alright?” Even if Slug’s only being rude to not seem scared, the hero isn’t willing to let him get away with acting like a brat. Still, he softens, sending the villain a kind smile. “So, where to first, Slug?”

Slug huffs, glancing around the mall. He pulls on White Hat’s hand, leading the man to stand with him in the middle of the second floor, allowing the duo to look up or down and see almost everything. “Hm… maybe we can stay on the second floor for a bit? I wanna see how accurate their history facts are,” He suggests, glancing at his boss to see his reaction. “Is that okay with you, sir?”

White Hat smiles, nodding. “Of course, my boy. We’re here for  _ you,  _ after all. Lead the way.”

Slug nods back, pulling on White Hat to lead him to the nearest exhibit. For the next several hours, the demonic hero becomes more and more interested in the subject matter, finding himself more curious than he expected. To be fair, most of his interest is because of Slug, who after awhile of getting settled into the convention lightens up, grinning and laughing as he explains different things to his guardian, happy to share one of his favorite things with someone he- although secretly- cares about. White Hat nods along with the delinquent’s many explanations and fun facts, trying his best to keep up, but he finds it hard, as Slug keeps talking a mile a minute, enthusiastic beyond belief. It’s while White Hat is reading through a pamphlet, intrigued by a display’s design, that he feels Slug let go of his hand. He snaps his head to the side, ready to grab hold of his ward again, but to his absolute horror, Slug has already gone, disappearing into the crowd.

“Slug? Slug, where did you go?” White Hat calls out, trying to find the young scientist. A few people raise eyebrows at him, weirded out by the odd name. Swallowing, the demon feverishly looks this way and that, unsure of where Slug went. In a moment of desperation, he tries something else. “Samuel? Samuel, son, where are you?” He figures using a less strange name might help, even if it might hurt him in the long run.

This gets a few adult men and young boys to look up, but none of them are Slug. An older looking fellow wearing a T-shirt that says  _ ‘PERSONAL’  _ soon approaches White Hat, appearing quite concerned. "Disculpe, señor, está todo bien?" The man asks, before pausing, deciding to ask something else as well. “No hablas español?”

White Hat can feel himself shivering with worry, and he shakes his head in confusion. “I, um, d-don’t understand what you’re saying, sir.” He admits, secretly embarrassed. He knows he oughta learn more Spanish, but it’s been hard for him so far, even when his twin brother speaks the language much more fluently, as if it were his first language and not his second.

The man appears frustrated for a moment, before he pulls out a walky-talky. “Necesito a alguien aquí lo antes posible que hable inglés.” He says into the device, likely calling for a translator. He holds up a yellow flag that reads  _ ‘Traductor necesitado aquí’ _ in big block letters, holding it perfectly straight above his head.

Not three minutes later, a young woman appears from the crowd wearing a  _ ‘PERSONAL’  _ t-shirt, just like the first convention security guard. “Entiendo que se necesita un traductor aquí,” The woman says to the other staff member, before looking to White Hat, who she smiles at. “Hello, sir, is there anything I can help you with today?”

White Hat nods frantically, glad to finally have someone he can understand. “Yes, ma’am! You see, my son-” He pauses, considering what he’s about to say. There’s no doubt that Slug would be mad if his boss sent people to come find him, but considering how suddenly he vanished… yeah, White Hat decides that he’ll just deal with that drama later; his boy’s safety is more important to him than his pride. “-My son, he… he disappeared. I know it’s probably inappropriate to ask for assistance, considering the fact that he’s an adult, but… well, he looks incredibly young, and I fear for his safety. He's very skittish when stressed out.”

The woman nods, understanding despite it being an adult that’s missing. “That’s perfectly fine, sir. No matter the missing person’s age, we’re more than happy to help in any way we can. Can I get a name for the missing person?” She pulls out a notepad, ready to begin making a report on the situation.

“Yes, his name is… his name is Samuel Hatson; he’s twenty years old,” White Hat struggles a little with what name to give, as he doesn’t want Slug having his possibly undesired name shouted through a loudspeaker. “He has short black hair and hazel brown eyes. He should be wearing a large red hoodie, black jeans, and a black backpack. Again, I’m so sorry for the trouble, ma’am.”

The woman just nods again, quick to scribble everything down. “Alright… yes, that should be enough information; we’ll tell his description to everyone on staff so that they can find him as soon as possible. Does he have a phone on hand?” When White Hat shakes his head no, the woman bites back a sigh, disappointed by the news. “That’s not ideal, but still, we’ll try to find him as soon as physically possible. Is there anywhere you believe he could have gone?”

White Hat averts his eyes, deep in thought. Why did Slug run off to begin with? Although the young criminal can be painfully rebellious at times, White Hat has a nagging suspicion that Slug didn’t run off to make his boss upset, especially considering the hero’s earlier threat of punishment should his ward try wandering off alone. This leaves only three real scenarios possible. A, Slug merely ran off to use the restroom, and will be back shortly. B, Slug got kidnapped by a stranger. Or C, Slug got overwhelmed. While White Hat would love to believe that Slug only ran off to pee, he has a feeling that’s not the case, as it seems more likely Slug would tell him first, if only to avoid getting in trouble. That second option… considering White Hat’s many enemies, that one has a high likelihood, but no one but Clementia has any idea he and Slug are here; neither of them use social media, and White Hat was careful to make sure Clementia didn’t post about it. So… that just leaves option three.

Did Slug have some sort of panic or anxiety attack? White Hat thinks on it, unsure. Indeed, Slug is a rather jumpy individual, even if he tries to hide it, and is prone to getting abundantly anxious if put under a surplus of stress. The hero has always tried to ignore it, mindful of how defensive and embarrassed Slug can get, but it seems that’s come to bite him in the ass. White Hat sighs, kicking himself for not noticing sooner; of  _ course _ this would send Slug into an anxiety attack, good lord, the boy’s been on the cusp of a meltdown since White Hat met him! It was only a matter of time before Slug’s will broke, and the delinquent would fall victim to his own emotions. Shivering, White Hat wonders if Slug is okay. Could he be hurting himself? Does he self-harm? The demon feels sick all at once, tempted to vomit, but he refrains from doing so, not wanting to handicap himself when he needs to be focusing on the present situation. Finally snapping out of it, White Hat again tries to think of where his ward could have run off to.

“To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure, ma’am,” White Hat admits, hating himself for not knowing the criminal better. “But I believe he may be in the midst of a panic attack of some sort… I fear he may be hiding somewhere,” He pauses, realizing that he may have unknowingly figured it out. “Yes, he… he must be hiding somewhere no one can reach him, somewhere he feels safe, like a small space! Do you know of any spots like that?”

The staff member thinks on it, scratching her chin. “Well… there’s always the restrooms, but if your son is really having a panic attack, I have a feeling he wouldn’t want to be around so many people,” She suddenly snaps her fingers, smirking victoriously. “How about the trains downstairs? A lot of kids like to play in those since there are so many small spaces to crawl into, so he might be hiding in one of them!”

White Hat beams, nodding in agreement. “That’s a good idea! Knowing how much he loves trains, I don’t doubt that he’d want to be in one of the models! Thank you so much for your help, ma’am!”

“It’s no problem, sir,” The staff woman assures, giving him a small, worried smile. “Would you still like me to alert the other staff members?”

“Yes please, that would be very helpful. Thank you again!” White Hat says, ready to start looking, but he stops himself. “Oh, before I forget, my name is, um… my name is William Hatson, in case anyone finds him.”

“Got it. We’ll let you know through the loudspeaker if he’s found by a staff member, and you can claim him by telling them your name,” The staff woman explains, waving as the hero takes off. “Good luck, sir! I hope you find your son, soon!”

_ “I hope so, too,” _ White Hat thinks to himself, feeling frantic again as he runs for the escalator, not caring about bystanders as he shoves them out of his way.  _ “Don’t worry, son… I’m coming.” _

…

Slug isn’t sure exactly  _ when  _ he starts to drop; he just knows it happens suddenly, and with little to no warning whatsoever.

He’s just standing by White Hat’s side, laughing as he explains the history of a locomotive his boss has taken interest in, when everything suddenly feels…  _ way  _ too big. To be fair, Slug’s been feeling like that to some degree since they arrived, but he’s tried repressing the feeling for as long as he can. Slowly, but also all at once, it hits the criminal like a speeding truck, and suddenly, he isn’t so big anymore. Slug’s eyes widen, curious, and he’s filled with the desire to run off and explore. He glances down at his right hand, which is still being held gently by White Hat. His boss started out holding it pretty tight, but as the convention has continued, he’s loosened up a fair amount, not really considering that his ward could run off anymore… it would be so  _ easy  _ to get away, especially with it being so crowded. Slug gulps, scared to break the rules; after all, he doesn’t want to get _ spanked! _ No  _ way!  _ Shivering, the delinquent considers his options. He really,  _ really _ doesn’t want to get in trouble… but exploring sounds like so much fun!

He has to be quick, though… fast as the Flash, and too sudden for it to be stopped, Slug pulls himself out of his guardian’s grasp, taking off into the massive crowd. He laughs to himself as he takes off, imagining the shocked look on the demon’s face once he realizes his charge has run off. “Slug? Slug, where did you go?” White Hat begins calling for Slug almost immediately, noticing his absence right away. Again, Slug giggles, amused by how upset his guardian already is. By the time he’s almost to the escalator, ready to run and hide somewhere for a bit, he hears something that stops him in his tracks. “Samuel? Samuel, son, where are you?”

All at once, Slug feels nauseous, no longer finding the situation light-hearted and playful.  _ What _ did White Hat just call him? Slug turns around, looking in the direction he came from, but he can’t see the hero amongst the crowd of convention goers. Is that… is that  _ Lewis? _ Is he here? Slug tries to walk back to White Hat, only to be swept into a large crowd heading downstairs, which he unfortunately doesn’t have the strength to wrestle past. He shuts his eyes tightly, terrified by all the bodies pressed up against him, allowing the people to unintentionally pull him along, leading him downstairs. By the time most of the crowd has dispersed, and Slug gains the courage to open his eyes, he finds himself terrified, as this place is completely unfamiliar. Where’s Lewis? Or… was it  _ White Hat? _ Where  _ is _ he? How  _ old _ is he? Slug begins to shiver, crying as he realizes that he’s lost. He doesn’t want to be lost! He’ll get in trouble if he’s lost, and then he’ll get spanked!

“¿Estás bien, cariño?” A petite woman, looking to be in her mid to late forties, comes waltzing over to Slug, concerned when she sees him sobbing. “Que pasa ¿Estás perdido? ¿Dónde están tus padres?”

Slug stares at her, wide-eyed and confused. “Um… um…” Who is this lady? Why is she talking to him? Why aren’t her words making sense? “I… I dunno what you’re saying, miss.”

The woman’s concern only grows, as she begins looking around, taking hold of Slug’s arm to keep him near. "¡Disculpe! ¡Necesito ayuda por favor!" She shouts into the crowd, looking for help from a staff member, not that Slug realizes that.

Slug shivers even harder, terrified. Is this lady going to kidnap him? Is she calling for someone big and scary to grab him? Without warning, Slug yanks himself out of the stranger’s grasp, taking off into the nearest crowd. "Espera, vuelve aquí, joven. ¡Por favor, no corras!" The woman yells, trying to run after him, but Slug is much faster.

Slug only slows down once he’s practically on the other side of the bottom floor, taking a seat next to one of the display locomotives to regain his breath. Once he can breathe properly, the weight of being lost hits him all over again, as well as the fear of having possibly been almost kidnapped. Sobbing, Slug pulls his knees to his chest, attempting to look merely tired and not distressed. To his thankfulness, everyone is too busy to notice him, and those who do can’t hear him crying over the loud drone of the convention. Slug wipes at his face, sick to his stomach with anxiety. Why oh why did he run away from White Hat!? He’s so scared now, and even if he gets found, he’s gonna be in so much trouble! Well, guess that means Slug will have to be lost forever… he cries harder at the thought of that. Although he acts as though he doesn’t love his family when he’s big, Slug can’t deny that he loves White Hat and Clementia when he's this deep in headspace, and the thought of never seeing them again is the worst feeling ever!

Slowly, Slug stands up, knees shaky as he looks around. Where will he go? Where will he live? Will he have to be mean again so he can make money to eat? Will he have to go to the bad place again, so he'll have a bed? Slug whimpers, terrified of going back to prison, as every one he ever stayed in was full of really mean people, and the people who were nice made him feel uneasy, always smiling too wide and touching him in uncomfortable ways. The boy shivers, shaking his head as he pushes those awful memories away, not wanting to remember that horrible place anymore. Slug gives his surroundings an uneasy once-over, wondering where he should go. Maybe he could live here? He’s always liked trains, and maybe the convention people will let him live with them, like a traveling circus! Slug smiles, excited to live as a train convention person. Maybe they’ll even let him drive one of the trains! Excited, the young delinquent begins looking for a way to sneak into the convention staff’s ranks.

From where he’s standing, Slug can see a number of real life train carts scattered around the ground floor, many of which are open to public access. Slug grimaces, believing that if he hides on a public train cart, then he’ll be kicked out sooner, as they’ll be able to find him very quickly! He has to hide somewhere he’s not supposed to be! Looking to the very train cart he’s been hanging around, the boy grins, noticing the large  _ ‘Not for public access’  _ sign in front of the train cart.  _ Perfect! _ Slug circles behind the cart, where there’s no foot traffic, and finds a large, rectangular window a few feet above him, leading into the cart. Even  _ more  _ perfect! It takes a lot of effort, as Slug doesn’t have a whole lot of upper body strength, but he eventually manages to pull himself up, falling into the tran cart once he squeezes himself through the window. He pauses for a moment, listening for any adults who might’ve seen him, but when no one comes looking for him, Slug grins even wider, pumping his fist in the air victoriously. _ Success!  
_   
Finally free from the scary, big crowds, Slug lays down on the floor of the train cart, very pleased with himself. But the minute he closes his eyes, he’s reminded of White Hat’s franticness when he ran off, the demon likely terrified right at this minute. That has him sad again, feeling unbelievably guilty for running off. Even so, Slug is terrified of getting caught, now that he’s broken so many rules! He'd be in too much trouble! Sobbing, Slug pulls his knees to his chest again, laying on his side in the fetal position. As fun as living with train conductors sounds, deep down, all Slug wants is to go home with his guardian, and never leave his side again. Sure, the spankings suck, and Clementia teases him a bunch, but Slug truly  _ does _ love the little family he’s built up for himself, and to leave right when he feels like he’s on the cusp of not being an outsider anymore… that’s an  __ awful feeling. Slowly, the boy finally tuckers himself out, crying himself to sleep on the cold, cold floor of a dusty old locomotive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesus Christmas, this certainly took a bit, but it was worth it! We finally got to Slug age-sliding! I wonder what our favorite heroic demon will do about this >:3c? Please comment if you enjoyed this chapter, it would mean so much to me!


	10. train of thought, upended - part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are ready for that sweet, sweet father-son bonding between our favorite heroic boys, because that’s what you’re gonna get! Please enjoy!

There are not a lot of things that can legitimately scare White Hat. Yes, he can indeed feel fear- just as all living beings can- but it’s rare that anything has a big impact on him. When he first met Dr. Slug Flys, he felt no fear towards the puny excuse for a villain, if anything finding the shrimpy little brat to be quite cute. Even after nearly three months of living with the young criminal mastermind, White Hat didn’t feel anything other than curiosity and affection towards the boy, finding his mannerisms funny and interesting. And yet… despite all of this- despite going so long without fear taking residence in his bones- White Hat finds himself well and truly shaken, petrified by the situation he’s found himself in. More afraid than he’s ever felt, the demon blasts through the many crowds that fill the convention center, shoving any and all bystanders out of his way, not caring if this will cause anyone to trip and fall; all he cares about is finding his ward as quickly as physically possible.

The  _ minute _ his feet touch the bottom floor of the mall, White Hat takes a moment to catch his breath, breathing heavily and with all the exhaustion of an olympic runner. It takes a few minutes, but finally the hero regains himself, straightening his back as he glances around the area. Far as the eye can see, there are at least fifteen to twenty train carts set up, a few wearing signs that invite con goers to explore them, while others strictly prohibit such a thing. There are mostly children down here, despite the top floor being the official children’s play area, all of which are (hopefully) being supervised by their parents. Looking over the crowd, White Hat tries to make out where his young ward has scampered off to, mind buzzing with worry. Has Slug gotten hurt? What if he’s been kidnapped? Is he even still in the convention center? The demon rubs at his eyes, momentarily glad that he left his monocle at home, as he tries to calm down.

Easier said than done, as White Hat has never really dealt with anything quite like this. He’s dealt with similar situations, yes-  _ he’s seven years old, running through a festival trying to find his mischievous twin brother, sobbing so hard he can barely see through his tears as he navigates through a forest of legs and satchels-  _ but nothing that could prepare him for this type of anxiety. Losing track of Slug, it feels so  _ different _ from losing Black Hat under nearly identical circumstances… with Black Hat, White Hat always knew his twin would wind up completely fine once he’d found him, and would likely tease his paler brother for crying, but with Slug, it feels like… it feels like losing his young child in a crowded store. The hero pauses, embarrassed by that thought, but he can’t actually bring himself to disagree with that example… indeed, he’s begun to see Slug as his offspring.

Shaking the thought away to reexamine later, White Hat begins to physically search the train carts. He approaches one of the public ones, where a handful of children aged from around six to ten years old are playing. “Um, excuse me, children,” White Hat approaches the group of kids, hoping that one of them might have seen Slug. “Have any of you seen a skinny looking boy who's on the short side? He has short black hair and bright brown eyes. He’s wearing a red hoodie, black jeans, and a black backpack,” When the kids just stare at him with blank expressions, he freezes, realizing his mistake. “Um… goodness, what was it now? H-Habla usted Inglés?” He struggles with his Spanish, out of practice and admittedly terrible at speaking it.

“I speak it,” One of the children- a little raven haired girl, looking to be of Asian descent- says, though she appears weary. “Why you lookin’ for this boy? Are you his daddy?”

White Hat hesitates, before nodding. “Yes, I’m… I’m his father,” He feels so awkward saying it out loud, wondering how Slug would react to hearing him say that. “Please, if you’ve seen him, please let me know… he’s very anxious, and I don’t want him to get hurt.”

The girl hesitates, turning to the other children. They all form a circle, whispering amongst themselves, before the girl turns back around to face White Hat, giving him a slight nod. “We thinks you’re a nice adult, so we’ll tells you where he went,” She points past White Hat at one of the train carts, and oddly enough, it's one of the ones listed to be off-limits. “He crawled inta there when no adults was lookin’… Adrianna said he wasn’t gonna fit, but he did! We think he’s playin’, but I don’t think he wants ta play with us… he's weird."

White Hat nods, smiling brightly at the child. “Thank you so much for your help, miss! You have a good day!” He waves to the kid, running off to look in the train cart for his missing ward.

“Bye bye!” The girl waves back, before going right back to playing with the other children.

As fast as he can, White Hat runs to the locomotive, pausing to look it over once he’s close. It appears to be the front of a train- isn’t it called a pilot? That’s what Slug called one that looked like this earlier- looking old and worn, reminding White Hat of the early days of trains and railroads. Shaking his head, he focuses on the here and now, circling the train cart as he looks to see where Slug could have gotten inside, as the door seems to be sealed shut. Circling around to the other side, White Hat finds a set of rectangular windows. They’re fairly high off the ground, but the demon doesn’t doubt that his stubborn little delinquent could have pulled himself inside, given enough effort. Oh, when White Hat gets his hands on him… he pauses, taking a few deep breaths. No doubt Slug will be scared once he sees that his guardian has come after him, and as frustrated as White Hat is with the boy, he knows that he needs to restrain himself, as punishing the criminal when he’s already scared will do more harm than good.

Once sure that no one’s looking, White Hat jumps up, grabbing ahold of the bottom of the window. He hisses through his teeth, the rusty edge digging into his palms, but thankfully not breaking skin. The hero hoists himself up, struggling more than he’d care to admit- he really needs to work out more- until he manages to pull himself inside. Immediately, White Hat topples into the train cart, landing funny and nearly dislocating his shoulder, but otherwise he’s fine. Sitting up on his knees, the hero looks around the cart, finding Slug almost right away… and what a sight he is. All of the anger and frustration dissipates almost immediately when White Hat’s eyes land on Slug, his heart feeling swollen and damaged by the display before him. Slug is curled up on his side, facing towards White Hat, knees tucked up to his chest with his arms cuddling them like a body pillow, his eyes closed in a fitful sleep. There’s dust all over the young man, as Slug likely tossed and turned in his sleep, the dust from the train cart getting all over him.

White Hat sighs quietly to himself, tilting his head to better look at the delinquent. It seems as though Slug was crying not long ago, face blotchy and red, and if that weren’t enough… oh  _ goodness. _ The demon unintentionally recoils, the strong scent of urine hitting him like a freight train (no pun intended). He gags, feeling guilty even if Slug didn't hear him, as he spots the large, tinted puddle surrounding Slug, the crotch of his jeans soaked through.  He’s probably accidentally gotten his urine on his other clothes too, as the puddle is horrendously big. Must have really needed to go. Slowly, White Hat steps towards Slug, crouching down to grab him by the shoulder, giving him a light shake. Even slower, Slug wakes, appearing out of it at first. The  _ minute _ he’s more aware of his surroundings, however, he shoots up, backpedaling until he’s on the other side of the train cart, back against the wall so he can keep an eye on White Hat. It’s then that Slug notices his puddle on the floor, and he visibly recoils, sickened by what he’s done.

“Oh  _ f-fuck,” _ Slug murmurs very quietly, voice shakier than the ocean tide. “B-Boss, I-”

“-It’s alright,” White Hat matches Slug’s volume, but he comes through much clearer, not nearly as upended as the criminal before him. “It’s okay, Slug… I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Th-That’s what they  _ all _ s-say,” Slug growls, not buying it for a second. It doesn’t matter that White Hat is being honest with him; he’s too accustomed to abuse to recognize when mercy is being given in a situation like this. “J-Just… just l-leave me alone please.” He averts his eyes, disgusted with himself.

White Hat softens, feeling hopeless in this situation… but he has to try. “Slug… please look at me.”

“N-No.” Slug sounds so young, so fragile. It’s definitely something White Hat isn’t used to.

“I promise not to hurt you, Slug… please, look me in the eyes.” White Hat isn’t taking no for an answer, intent on helping.

Slug pauses, thinking about it. Very, very slowly, he looks up, tentatively meeting White Hat’s gaze. The demon looks deeper, farther than he’s gone before, until he finds himself sharing a two-way mirror.

_ “Keep up, Whitie!” Black is laughing as loud as a mountain lion, arms outstretched as if he’s an airplane, although those have yet to be invented. It’s raining hard, harder than it has in a long time, and while all the villagers are hiding inside, the twin demons can dance and play in the rain together. Black swings around, grabbing White by the hands, and spins him around, giggling with glee. “See? It’s fun!-” _

_ “-See, big bro? It’s fun!” Florence Jr. hands Sam the large spool of her kite. When Sam looks up, he can see the airplane shaped kite bellowing strongly in the wind, looking akin to a real life airplane. The clouds are dark; it’s going to rain soon. It’s while Sam is looking into the horizon, eyes on the rolling storm clouds, that Florence Jr. grabs hold of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze- _

_ “-Little fucking  _ bastard!” _ The shopkeep has White by the hand, slamming him into the wall, over and over again. The man loses his grip, grabbing the little demon by his shirt instead- a ratty old thing, weathered, and darkened grey with age and dirt- and continues cracking his tiny body into the stone wall, taking pleasure in the child’s shrieks of pain. “You think I can’t smell a demon? I’ll kill you, you little fucking rat!” Before the shopkeep can raise his other fist, ready to begin punching White, Black jumps him from behind, changing to claws and teeth and fangs, ripping the foolish mortal apart as White begins to fall to the ground- _

_ -Slug’s the one who lands, sporting bruises on his face and on his chest and on his knuckles. He’s hurt bad, but the shiv he stuck into his opponent has done more damage, the smaller criminal having gotten a few stabs in before his foe figured out what was happening. It’s what the bastard deserves, for calling Slug a wide array of unkindly slurs. “What the  _ fuck _ is going on here!?” A security guard shouts, tackling Slug while he’s already down, beginning to beat the young man with his baton. “You little fucking whore; when’re you gonna behave yourself, huh? Fucking repulsive!-” _

_ “-That’s absolutely  _ repulsive!” _ Black recoils from the taste, not at all appreciating White’s attempts at cooking. The darker demon shakes his head, before cracking a wicked smirk at his twin brother. “Hahaha! If you wish to poison me, you need to try harder, mi hermano! Now, give me that spoon, I’ll show you the proper way to cook stew! First-” _

_ “-First of all, I’m not gonna lie… this is gonna ruin your life, kid,” Lucy Fur says this without pulling punches, not seeing the point in trying to lie to her latest client. “The minute you start going down this path, there ain’t no going back… your name will be mud, and once you’re outta my sight, those crooked capes ain’t gonna stop chasing you until you’re six feet under. But if you’re still determined to do this, I won’t turn ya down, kid. Your ma is a real thorn in every villain’s side, and I’ll be damned if we don’t put her down sooner rather than later,” She smirks, reaching over her desk to ruffle Sam’s hair. “We’re about to make history, kiddo… I hope someday, even if it hurts like hell, that you can be proud of yourself for doing this. You’re a real heroic villain, junior… that’s gonna suck in a lot of ways, but hell, we could use more upstarts like you-” _

_ "-Look, look!" Black is practically vibrating with excitement, pointing up at one of the thousands of constellations. "See that one, hermano? It looks like you!" White responds, but he's silent here, no room for his words in this memory. Nonetheless, Black laughs, shaking his head at his brother. "Hahaha! Stop it, White-" _

_ "-Oh God! Stop stop stop!" Slug's poor correctional officer is freaking out, frantic as he tries to get Slug to come out of the storage closet, painfully aware that his client isn't in an adult state of mind and therefore can't be properly reasoned with. "Oh god, oh fuck, what's going on!? None of your paperwork mentioned you being a fucking kid! Seriously, what the  _ fuck!?  _ Oh fuck, I gotta tell someone… what the fuck are we gonna do with you  _ now, _ kid!? You were supposed to be useful!" _

How long have they been like this? How many hours have passed? How many days? Okay, even if White Hat is kind of out of it- he’s never soul gazed like this, never this hard, never this  _ intensely-  _ he knows it hasn’t been more than an hour, if even that. He has to blink several times, but eventually, White Hat finds himself back in the train cart, breathing deeply as he tries to ground himself in the physical world. As sad as it is, the stench of urine helps with this. Once he’s wiped away his tears, White Hat looks at Slug again, the sight breaking his heart all over again, especially since he just saw so much of the boy’s past, even if a majority of it was incoherent and messy, leaving little context and a lot of pain. Slug is still on the other end of the train cart, legs pulled up to his chest, arms outstretched and pressed against the wall, as if he’s prepared to fight. Even is he looks violent, White Hat can see that the fight has entirely left his young ward, leaving him wrung out, confused, and disoriented.

Slug blinks many times, much like White Hat, rubbing at his eyes to try and get rid of the tears. With the criminal distracted, White Hat sees his chance. He hurries over, crouching beside his boy on the floor. Slug flinches, terrified, but when the hero doesn’t try hurting him, he relaxes, allowing the demon to sit beside him. White Hat sits with Slug in silence, occasionally glancing his way to check on him, and even if Slug is only rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sting and tears, the demon can’t help but be reminded of a tired toddler who doesn’t want to go down for a nap, but desperately needs one. Speaking of which… White Hat sighs to himself, tired to the bone as he glances at the puddle of urine, still unsure what he should do. Hopefully once Slug can speak again, he’ll be more trusting of the superhero, but that doesn’t mean White Hat knows what to do from here… he’ll just have to figure things out as he goes, he supposes.

“What… what  _ was _ that?” Slug still sounds younger than usual- and now that White Hat has seen into his soul, that youthfulness doesn’t seem so strange or unfitting for Slug- but his tone is steadier this time around.

“Well…” White Hat pauses, thinking on his next words very carefully. Finally, he gives up, not caring about secrets anymore; he’s already bared his soul to Slug, so what’s the point in pretending he has anything more to hide? “That was soul gazing. It’s… it’s one of my powers. When I lock eyes for too long with an individual, or with the intent to have it happen, I can peer into the recipient’s soul… unfortunately, that comes at a cost, as when I look into someone else’s soul, they can see into my own in return. It’s the reason I didn’t soul gaze with you sooner,” He spares Slug a weary smile, before gently ruffling his hair. “Please understand, I didn’t do this because I don’t trust you… okay, I was indeed struggling with that, but mostly I… I didn’t want to  _ intrude. _ I know you’re a private person, and I didn’t want to force a soul gaze on you, but… well, desperate times call for desperate measures. I only hope you will come to forgive me someday.”

Slug takes a few moments to respond, looking his guardian over carefully. Shyly, and with great hesitation, he swings a leg onto White Hat’s lap. He freezes immediately, checking for a reaction. When he gets a small, supportive nod, he swings the other leg over, scooting on his backside to soon sit on the superhero's lap. Deep down, White Hat cringes, hating the fact that his cargo shorts are getting pressed against urine soaked pants, but to hell with it; he doesn’t have the heart to tell his ward no. Once settled, Slug relaxes so much more, leaning his head against White Hat’s shoulder as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. He closes his eyes, seemingly sleeping, but the demon knows he isn’t; he’s just trying to relax. Pretty soon, Slug’s body is completely lax, comforted by the physical closeness of an adult he now knows to indeed be safe. Even if he hasn’t said so out loud yet, this fills White Hat with an amazing warmth, as if someone stuck a heating pad between his ribs to heat up his cold, restless heart.

“… Thank you,” Slug is slow, taking his time to get his words out; it’s not like they’re in a rush or anything. “For, um… for not kicking me, the minute you saw what I’m like,” He averts his gaze to the floor, tears beginning to slip down his face. “I know I’m… I know I’m a terrible person, and I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with me for so long,” He pauses again, letting out a little sob, his voice beginning to stutter again. “And I’m s-sorry that I’m getting your p-pants w-wet now.”

White Hat doesn’t even hesitate, wrapping his arms tight around the delinquent. Slug sobs immediately, the realization that he’s not being abandoned too good to be true. “Slug, I could never,  _ ever _ hate you… you’re the most precious thing in the world to me, and I’m so very happy that I’m lucky enough to have you in my life,” He presses a tentative kiss to the boy’s forehead, glad that Slug doesn’t flinch away from the contact. “You don’t ever have to be afraid of being abandoned ever again… son, I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done. I don’t care if you want to be a villain or a hero. I don’t care if you’re in the mindset of a child or an adult,” He takes Slug gently by the chin, turning his head to look him in the eyes. White Hat smiles, warm and loving this boy with everything he has. “All I care about, son, is  _ you…  _ and I  _ love  _ you.”

Slug hiccups, rubbing at his eyes. “You… you  _ do?” _ He’s so  _ uncertain, _ it absolutely breaks his guardian’s heart, whether he knows it or not. “You really,  _ really _ do? You’re not just saying that? You don’t care that I’m… that I’m a stupid  _ baby?” _

White Hat smiles, nodding. “Like I said, I love you no matter who you are… and to be honest, I find you quite adorable,” He playfully pinches the boy’s cheek, not putting any force behind it so that it doesn’t sting. Slug huffs all the same, pouting at the hero. “Oh, did you not like that? Do you not like when I pinch your cheek?” Upon earning a nod, White Hat laughs, before kissing Slug a few times on his cheeks instead, which earns indignant squirming. “What’s  _ this? _ You don’t like kisses and you don’t like pinches… such a  _ silly _ little one!” He grins at his ward, smiling even wider when Slug cracks the weariest of smiles back at him. “See? Such a cute little smile you have… I'm so excited to look after you, Slug."

Slug averts his eyes, embarrassed. “Am much as I like not being hit…” He gives his urine puddle an uneasy look, his expression giving away his disgust. “I think we, um… should go. Before we get caught. And, uh, before I… before I drop.  _ Hard.” _

White Hat nods, taking charge as he stands up, stilling holding Slug. “What does it mean, when you  _ ‘drop’?” _ He has an idea as to what it means, but better to hear it from someone who actually understands what’s going on than guess and potentially get it wrong.

Slug shrugs, appearing bigger than before, but still quite uneasy. “It’s, uh… it’s called  _ age-sliding,” _ He sighs, embarrassed that he has to explain this, but at least he’s willing to help before he’s fully in headspace. “See, because of the trauma I went through as a kid, I kind of… I  _ drop, _ and that means I go back to mentally being a little kid. It can be really,  _ really _ embarrassing, and I’ve been holding back on a drop for a few months now… was only a matter of time before I finally broke. I’m… I’m sorry you had to find out this way, boss. To be honest, I was hoping I’d have run away before this could happen, but I guess that didn’t work out,” He smiles sheepishly at the demon, face flushed pink. “I can try to hold it back a little longer, but-”

“-You will do no such thing!” White Hat is quick to stop that train of thought before it reaches the station, tone protective and stern. “If this is something that hurts you to contain, you will not keep it from happening any longer!  _ Please… _ let me take care of you, Slug. I want to  _ help.” _

Again, Slug looks away, unsure of how to respond to such a reaction. “I’ve never, um, actually  _ had _ any help with this before,” He appears rather uninformed on this part as well, not sure what to do right away. “I mean, you could just… make sure I don’t do something stupid, like lick an electrical socket,” He shivers at the very thought, glad nothing like that has ever actually happened. “As for doing something more…” He looks to the puddle of pee, stomach twisting in unpleasant knots. “I might… I might fucking piss myself again, and I'm sorry about that. I really don't… I don't know how to make it stop."

Thankfully for him, White Hat isn't upset at all, quick to squeeze him a little tighter in an attempt to make him feel better. “Don't worry about a thing, son … I think I know what to do,” He goes to take a step, then pauses, considering something. “By the way… what do you wish to be called, once we’re somewhere safe for you to drop?"

There’s a long beat of silence. “…  _ Sammy. _ Call me Sammy.” Slug orders, knowing a younger version of himself probably won’t answer to his villain name.

White Hat smiles fondly at that, patting Slug on the back. “Sammy… such a fitting name for you,” He steps into the middle of the train cart, careful to make sure he doesn’t step in the delinquent's accident. “Now Sammy, I need you to close your eyes with me, alright? When you open them, we’ll be back in the hotel room… can you do that for me, sweetheart?”

Slug hesitates, before nodding, closing his eyes tightly. “Yes, sir… I can do that.” He promises, secretly clinging to his boss much harder.

White Hat nods, closing his eyes, and a moment later, the train cart is empty, the only evidence that they’d been there being the mess they left behind, as well as a cloud of mist, which disappears not long after they’ve gone.

…

Opening his eyes, Slug bites his lower lip to contain his hiss, the bright lighting of the hotel room burning his retinas. Thankfully for him, White Hat catches on quickly, turning off the lights with a quick blink. Slug hums his appreciation into the demon’s shoulder, closing his eyes again as he struggles to stay awake. Oh how he’d much prefer to take a nap, but his guardian will probably still need his help. So, rather reluctantly, Slug gives a few squirms, wanting to be put down, otherwise he knows he’ll fall asleep, White Hat’s body too comforting not to induce fatigue. The hero sets Slug down immediately, allowing the young delinquent to sit like a tuckered out toddler, struggling to hold his head up. In earnest, Slug shakes his head, patting his face to snap himself out of it. Once done, he hears a chuckle, and looking up, Slug finds White Hat smiling down fondly at him, and as if his attire and general mannerisms weren’t enough, the demon’s impressive height allows him to tower over Slug, making him truly seem like a guardian or father to the villain.

Slug feels his face heat up, so much so that he averts his eyes, embarrassed. “What’s so funny?” He asks, trying to sound irritated, but he’s too close to dropping to come off as anything but grumpy.

White Hat chuckles again, much to his ward’s fury. “Pardon me,” He says, still smiling at the delinquent. “My apologizes, it’s just… you look so  _ young,  _ patting your face like that.”

Slug blushes even redder, crossing his arms with a huff. “Not my fault I’m so tired…” That’s a lie; he knows it’s his own fault for not going to bed earlier last night. Glancing up at White Hat, the criminal sighs, not wanting to explain anything more, but he knows he doesn’t have a choice at this point, especially with his drop so close. “Okay, so, here’s the deal,” He waits until the hero is looking at him again to continue, needing White Hat to hear this. “I think I’ve got about, say, an hour before I drop, and that’s if we’re lucky. After that, I’m probably not gonna be much help,” Unintentionally proving this, he yawns, before shaking his head again. “Ugh…  _ see?  _ Since this is the case, I think it’d be best if we stayed here for the rest of the night, just so I don’t, like, completely humiliate us both. Again.”

White Hat pulls a face, not liking how Slug is treating himself. “You’re not a humiliation of any sort, son… please do not speak so lowly of yourself. However, I agree that you should stay here for the rest of the day, as I wouldn’t want you getting hurt,” He averts his eyes for a moment, deep in thought. “I know you must stay here, but… would you be alright if I stepped out for a moment? I want to get some supplies from the store for you.”

Slug raises an eyebrow. “Supplies? What do you mean by  _ that?” _ He has a sneaking suspicion he knows what the demon is implying, and he wants nothing to do with it. “If you’re thinking of getting me anything stupid like toys or pacifiers, you’ll be wasting your money; this is a one time thing, boss. I ain’t  _ ever  _ letting this happen again.”

White Hat rolls his eyes, much to Slug’s surprise, as he isn’t used to the superhero acting so blatant. “Considering the fact that you’ll be living with me for a long time to come, I see no point in  _ not  _ getting you supplies,” He makes a concerned frown, eyeing Slug’s damp pants, causing the villain to cross his legs to hide the mess better. “And in any case, we can’t have you wetting yourself again… now, I will repeat my question, and I need you to answer me honestly, son; will you be alright on your own?”

Slug huffs again, looking away. “Of  _ course  _ I’ll be fine!” He snaps, well and truly irritated. He pauses, allowing his rage to dispel before he tries pleading with his mentor. _ “Please, _ boss… I know it’s gross, me…  _ making a mess,”  _ He can’t  _ bear  _ to say he wet himself, finding it far too embarrassing. “But I seriously don’t think I need, er,  _ help.” _

“Well,  _ I  _ think you do,” White Hat isn’t willing to argue with his ward about this, knowing better than to let Slug continue to try restraining himself; he sees  _ exactly  _ how well that worked out, and he isn’t risking anything. “I don’t want you accidentally ruining any sheets or mattresses here, Slug… you and I  _ both  _ know that would be  _ much  _ more humiliating than wearing a diaper that no one can even  _ see,”  _ He then gives Slug a surprisingly stern glare, crossing his arms at the delinquent. “I mean it, son; when I bring back protection, you  _ have  _ to wear it. Do  _ not  _ force my hand.”

“This is so unfair,” Slug mutters, tempted to kick the nearest chair over, but he restrains himself, knowing that would only go to piss his boss off. “It’s not like it’s my fault!”

“I never  _ said  _ it was your fault, Sam,” White Hat assures, far too calm for Slug’s tastes; he’d feel a lot less immature if the hero were shouting back, but he gets no such justification for his anger, leaving him feeling awkward and embarrassed again. White Hat offers him a small smile, crouching down to be at Slug’s level. “I know this is hard for you, son… but  _ please, _ let me help you with this; you don’t have to be alone anymore,” He ruffles Slug’s hair before standing up, stretching to straighten his back. “Goodness, I’m tired! Seems we both are… but don’t worry, I’ll be back shortly,” He glances at Slug again, raising an eyebrow at him. “You  _ will  _ be okay, right? I’ll only be gone for a half hour, a full hour tops.”

Slug averts his eyes, glaring at the floor. Deep down, he  _ really  _ doesn’t want White Hat to go… but he’s far too prideful to admit it; he hates when he gets like this- angry and frustrated beyond reason- but it’s unfortunately a common occurrence when he’s close to age-sliding, his adult mind trying to fight to stay in control. “I’m alright, boss,” He lies, resisting the urge to cry; curse his unpredictable emotions. “I’ll just… sleep until you get back, okay?”

White Hat appears concerned, but considering how vital he believes getting supplies is, he doesn’t fight Slug on the matter. “Just… be  _ safe, _ darling,” It’s rare that he calls Slug such a thing, as he knows the boy usually detests affectionate nicknames, but he wants to reaffirm his love for the criminal before he disappears on him. “Call me if anything comes up, alright? You should be able to use the hotel phone to reach me.”

Slug nods, waving at the demon. “I’ll be fine, boss,” He repeats, hating long goodbyes more than anything else. “Seriously, it’s not like I’m gonna-”

“-Do  _ not  _ finish that sentence!” White Hat warns, more serious than Slug would expect. “There’s no need to senselessly curse yourself!”

Slug rolls his eyes, chuckling at his guardian’s paranoia. “Yeah yeah, fine,” He mutters, smirking at the superhero. “Go do whatever it is you gotta do… I’ll be here, chugging alcohol and fucking hookers.”

White Hat blushes bright blue, much to Slug’s amusement, the villain laughing at the look on the superhero’s face. White Hat huffs, not at all appreciating his ward’s sense of humor. “If I find  _ one  _ bottle of alcohol open when I get back, you’ll be in for it,” He warns, but he’s smiling just a little, admittedly finding the joke funny. “I love you, son. I’ll be right back.” With that, he exits through the elevator, disappearing from sight.

Slug watches him go, contemplating what he should do next. Yes, he did indeed say he’d go to bed, but… TV sounds  _ much _ more fun! Looking to the huge flatscreen, the villain smirks, wondering what sort of TV shows would be on right now. He makes to sit on the couch, but pauses, aware of his piss stained jeans, which keep chafing against his legs. He huffs, not at all liking the sensation, and seeing as no one else is home and the shades have been drawn, Slug kicks off his jeans and boxers. As an extra precaution- and not at all because White Hat is right about him having next to no control of his bladder, whoever said that is a liar- Slug sets a folded up towel on the couch first before sitting on it, figuring it would be better to be safe than get his ass whooped later for being stubborn. Once snuggled up with a blanket as well, Slug turns on the TV, switching it to the animal channel; he’d much prefer cartoons right about now, but he’s not going to risk falling into headspace before White Hat gets back.

To Slug’s joy, an ocean documentary is playing. He smiles, watching the fish and sea creatures float across the screen, the narrator’s voice soft and kind, like White Hat’s. The boy yawns, exhausted all over again. It wouldn’t hurt to just… lie down, right? Slug does just that, curled up under his blanket as the narrator’s voice lulls him to sleep.

…

By the time White Hat gets back to the hotel room- he was only gone for thirty-four minutes and seventeen seconds. He  _ counted-  _ the sun is still high in the sky, and will likely only start setting in another couple of hours. Entering the room, the sound of the television catches White Hat’s attention immediately. After setting his various bags on the floor, he comes to stand behind the couch, unable to contain his fond grin at the sight before him. Slug is splayed out on the couch, entirely unconscious and unwilling to wake up on his own anytime soon. There’s a blanket draped over the boy, but it’s fallen loose, revealing his legs and…  _ oh dear. _ White Hat looks away, face flushing cerulean in shame for having looked. Still averting his gaze, he makes to pull the blanket back over Slug’s unmentionables, but stops himself, shaking his head as he mentally scolds himself for acting so prudish; it’s not like he hasn’t seen a penis before. Forcing his embarrassment aside, White Hat circles the couch completely.

Much as the demon would prefer letting his son sleep- not only to avoid a possible argument, but to let the poor lad rest- he knows maneuvering Slug while he’s asleep will only scare the kid, and that’s the last thing White Hat wants to do; he wants to reassure Slug as much as possible that he’s a safe adult, and asking for his permission before he does things is an excellent start. So, placing a gentle hand on the criminal’s head, White Hat ruffles the boy’s hair, straightening it out as he does so. Slowly, Slug stirs, opening his eyes to squint at the superhero. To White Hat’s surprise, his ward doesn’t start freaking out like he did last time, only tilting his head curiously at the demon, tentatively examining him. All at once, White Hat realizes that Slug may very well be in headspace. Careful to not startle the young man, White Hat raises his other hand, waving at Slug to see what he’ll do. If he’s out of headspace, the demon will just excuse this as making sure the boy was coherent. If he’s in headspace…

Slug’s eyes dilate a fraction, head tilting even more, so much so that he nearly rolls off the couch. White Hat catches him, both hands pushing him back onto the furniture, rolling him over. Slug giggles outright at this, grinning at White Hat. “Hi,” He murmurs, voice softer than usual, making him sound even more youthful than he looks. “Good morning.”

White Hat smiles right back, relieved that Slug isn’t as panicky as he feared he would be while deep in headspace. “Good morning to you too, little one,” He also uses a calmer tone of voice, low and welcoming. “Did you have a good nap?”

Slug nods, letting out a yawn. “Mhm… still kinda tired,” He admits, rubbing at his eyes. He rolls onto his stomach, looking ready to fall asleep again. “Night night.” He says, further proving his intentions.

White Hat can’t let him do that, quick to gently pick Slug up from under his armpits, pulling him backwards to sit him up on his knees. “Uh-uh-uh,” He tuts, ruffling Slug’s hair to try and rouse him more. “No more napping right now, Sammy… we need to make sure you’re all cleaned up and fed. Are you hungry?”

Slug pouts, before giving that question a bit of thought. “Mm… nope!” He decides, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “No food please.”

White Hat wants to screech, his kid is so damn cute! “Those are some very good manners, darling,” He praises, kissing the delinquent’s cheek, which earns a little whine. “Hahaha, you’re so cute, Sammy!”

Slug huffs, not at all agreeing. “‘M not a baby!” He insists, turning his head away from White Hat, allowing him to catch sight of the plastic bags next to the doorway. He perks up immediately, as if he had cat ears that could stick straight up. “What’re those?” He asks, curious.

White Hat smirks, getting off the floor and returning to the front door, where he collects all of the plastic bags. “Oh, these?” He feigns innocence, setting the various groceries on the kitchen table. “These are only for very good boys… do you happen to know any?”

Slug sits up straighter, even more excited now. “I’m one!” He announces, sure of this fact. Just based off of what White Hat’s said, the kid can already tell that whatever items are in those bags are to be desired, and he’s interested in discovering what’s so special about them.

“Are you now?” White Hat turns around to face Slug, crossing his arms, but not in a way that’s meant to be intimidating or stern. “Are you willing to prove it?”

“Yeah! I can prove it!” It’s probably a bad idea to get Slug this hyper and excited, but hell, if it works than it works.

“I thought you’d say that,” White Hat grabs one of the plastic bags, pulling out a scrubbie and two bottles of no-tears children shampoo, one for hair and one for skin. “As much as I hate to make you take one, I think you need a bath, as I doubt you cleaned yourself up after I left,” He raises an eyebrow at Slug, half expecting a fight about this. “Well, little one? Can you be a good boy for me?”

To White Hat’s shock, Slug nods enthusiastically, not the least bit deterred by his guardian’s request. “I can  _ totally  _ do that!” Slug promises, jumping up from the couch, not the least bit aware of his nudity. “I can even do it super fast, you’ll see!” He bolts for the bathroom like a madman, nearly tripping on his blanket on the way there.

White Hat smiles as he watches Slug run off, glad to see his ward so excited. “Hm… and here I was expecting him to struggle and hiss like a housecat,” He mutters, surprised by how eager Slug is. “I always thought little ones didn’t like bathing… perhaps I was wrong? Or is it a matter of physical age? I suppose it doesn’t matter…” He closes his eyes, pleased with the way things are going. “Maybe this won’t be as hard as Slug made it out to be? I’m beginning to quite like this, if I’m to be honest,” The sound of the shower running, followed by excited, possibly maniacal laughter, has White Hat’s heart drop. “Or… perhaps _ not.”  _ He whispers.

The demon runs as fast as he can towards the bathroom, freezing in the doorway. He isn’t sure how Slug managed it so fast, but the young villain has duct taped a bar of hotel issued bar soap over the shower head. Slug is stood in the shower- thank god he didn’t decide to start  _ ‘cleaning’  _ himself outside of the bathtub- still wearing his hoodie as he stands under the shower head, grinning excitedly at White Hat. “Hi,” Slug greets, looking all too proud of himself. “You like it?” He points at the  _ ‘modified’  _ shower head, which in all honesty is hardly spraying water, what with the soap bar being in the way, the water spraying upwards and in odd directions in order to even get out. “I made it better! It sprays water  _ and  _ soap at the  _ same time!” _ He’s so incredibly proud of himself… it’s honestly a bit sad.

White Hat continues standing in the doorway, completely and utterly horrified. “It’s certainly…  _ inventive,” _ He manages out, unsure how to react. Finally, he calmly walks over to the shower/bathtub, mindful of the water that’s begun pooling all over the floor, and turns the shower head off. “Please, um…  _ please  _ come here.” He offers a hand to Slug to help him out of the tub.

Slug pulls a face, concerned. “Was it…  _ no good?” _ He inquires, eyes suddenly wide with fear. “Am… am I in  _ trouble?” _ He asks, backing away from the hero, only to slip.

White Hat leaps his arms forward, catching Slug by the front of his sodden hoodie. “Easy, Sammy,” He warns, carefully pulling Slug towards himself, thankful that the boy hasn’t begun struggling. “You’re alright… I know you were only trying to help,” He gives the bathroom a tiny wince, wondering how he’s going to explain this to the hotel staff. Looking back at Slug, he softens, seeing how close his ward is to crying. “It’s alright, little one… you’re not in trouble. Next time you need to wait for me, okay?”

Slug nods, sniffling as he wipes at his eyes with his wet hoodie sleeve. “O-Okay… I’m sorry,” He whimpers, staring at the floor in shame. After a moment, he glances back up at White Hat, seeking some reassurance that he’s not angry. “Um… can I still be a good boy?”

White Hat smiles at that, giving Slug a quick hug. “Of course you can,” He assures, before he picks Slug up, setting him down to stand on the tiled floor. “Can you take a seat and wait for me to get the bath ready, please?”

Slug nods, but then pouts. “Um… maybe I can help?” He offers, wanting to be as good as he possibly can. “I could, um… get a towel?”

White Hat ruffles Slug’s sodden hair, feeling bad for what he’s about to say. “That’s alright, Sammy… I’ve got it.”

Slug looks away, eyes on the floor, as tears begin to silently slide down his face. “Oh… okay.” He mutters, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs, looking quite pitiful indeed.

As sad as that is to see, White Hat stays firm on the matter, looking back to the bathtub as he goes about preparing the bath. After finally figuring out how to make the water stop escaping down the drain- he’s much more accustomed to the showers and bathtubs back home- White Hat pours bubble formula into the water, which gets Slug to perk up again, the tears coming to a halt almost immediately. The demon hides a smirk at the sight, watching the little one out of the corner of his eye as Slug crawls closer, kneeling beside White Hat. The boy slowly sets his hands on the rim of the bathtub, glancing at the superhero to see if he’ll be scolded or not. White Hat just continues smiling, beginning to hum a little tune as he uses one of his hands to stir the soap in better, producing more bubbles. Slug watches this with wide eyes, before using one of his own hands to stir the water, not at all caring that his hoodie sleeve is getting even  _ more  _ soaked with soap water.

White Hat has to look away to hide his grimace, not looking forward to finding a laundromat to wash Slug’s clothes, but he supposes it can’t be helped. Once the tub is full, White Hat turns back to face his charge, grinning at him to try and keep his spirits uplifted. “Okay, darling, it’s all ready!” He says. When he sees Slug move to go in right away, the hero stops him, catching the delinquent by the hood of his shirt. “Oh no no no,” He says this in a sing-song tone, unable to contain a chuckle at the young man’s antics. “We can’t get you all clean if you’re still wearing a hoodie, sweet boy… here, let me help,” He pulls off Slug’s hoodie with ease, followed by the boy’s band t-shirt. “See? Now you can go in. But no jumping or splashing!” He barely gets this out in time, Slug having been ready to cannonball into the tub.

Thankfully, Slug doesn’t take offense to this, carefully stepping into the bathtub and taking a seat, letting out a happy sigh as the hot water allows his muscles to relax. “Does that feel good, Sammy?” White Hat asks, grinning at his charge. Slug nods, smiling right back. “I thought so… keep being good and still for me, alright?”

Slug nods again, blissed out. “Got it,” He murmurs, but starts to lean over a bit, catching himself at the last second. He blushes a little, embarrassed. “Sorry… ‘m still tired.”

White Hat smiles fondly at his little curiosity, ruffling his hair again. “It’s alright, darling… I love you  _ so  _ very much. You know that, right?” He begins wetting and soaping up the scrubbie as he says this, not wanting the situation to be too tense.

Slug averts his eyes, shrugging. “I guess.”

“You  _ guess?” _ White Hat can’t help but feel hurt by that, not that he let’s it show too predominantly. “Do you not believe me?”

Again, Slug shrugs. “I dunno… thought you didn’t want me,” He admits, much more open to talk about his feelings and insecurities when he’s in a younger headspace. “Um… I guess I thought you wouldn’t want me, ‘cus I’m really bad and all.”

White Hat grimaces, not liking that one bit. “You’re not  _ bad,  _ Slug… _ no one’s  _ bad,” Images of his twin brother cross his mind, but even if they separated on bad terms, White Hat can’t bring himself to hate Black Hat… he’s just  _ selfish, _ that’s all. Couldn’t handle change, or different viewpoints. “People can be  _ selfish, _ yes, and they can make bad decisions… but no one is inherently bad or evil,” He offers the boy a lighthearted smile, beginning to scrub Slug with the scrubbie. “You’ve made a lot of not okay decisions in your life, Sammy, but that’s okay. I know you’re a good person, no matter how mischievous you act,” He presses a quick kiss to Slug’s cheek, pleased when the delinquent doesn’t grimace at him as a result. “I suppose that’s why I adore you so much… you may act inappropriate and rowdy and mean, but I know you’re a very good boy, and that at the end of the day, you only want to help. Isn’t that right?”

Slug nods, letting out a weak sob. “You… You’re _really_ _nice,”_ He points out, hiccuping as he tries to breathe through his crying fit. “I w-wish my daddy was this n-nice… he’s so _mean,”_ He scowls at the water, likely imagining the face of his birth father. “I don’t like him… not at all! He’s b-” He pauses, remembering what White Hat said, and averts his gaze, still looking angry. “… Well, he’s not good.” He decides, crossing his arms with a huff.

Thankfully for White Hat, he’s just gotten done scrubbing most of Slug’s body, moving onto his hair next. “Head back, please,” He orders. Once Slug has followed his instructions, the hero pours a light amount of shampoo into the villain’s unruly hair, scrubbing it in with his nails. Slug relaxes immediately, sighing as he goes lax under White Hat’s gentle scratching. After a few more seconds of silence, the demon finally addresses Slug’s comments. “While I haven’t met your father, and don’t know who he is… I’m sorry that he mistreated you, Sammy. No one deserves that, especially not you.” He sighs to himself, feeling all kinds of guilty for Slug’s upbringing. But why? It’s not like he knew him back then! How was he supposed to help him?

Well… White Hat bites his lower lip, imagining up a scenario with ease. Had he not gotten into his fight with Bogdan and His Trembling Voice, or just been better at socializing with his fellow heroes, White Hat’s fairly certain he could have climbed the social hierarchy and come to meet Slug’s mother, Florence Wilhelm the first. Had that happened, and had he been able to see the abuse her children were being put through, he likes to think he would’ve adopted them in a heartbeat. The demon smiles faintly at the thought of being able to raise Slug himself… he would have taught him better morals earlier on, as well as given him the resources he needed to become a superhero instead of starting off as a villain. Although White Hat doesn’t know much about Slug’s little sister, he likes to think he would’ve taken her in as well, that way Slug wouldn’t have to be separated from her anymore. Is she even still alive? White Hat’s unsure, as he only saw one glimpse of her during the soul gaze. He hopes she is… for Slug’s sake.

Shaking his head, White Hat forces his daydream away. The past is over with, and while he’s upset that he couldn’t have done something sooner, the hero fully intends on making things right now that he’s here. After rinsing out Slug’s hair, White Hat beams, setting the bathtub to begin draining. “All done, Sammy! You did such a good job for me!”

Slug nods, smiling somewhat shyly back at White Hat, not as enthusiastic anymore after their discussion. “Thank you,” He says, opening his mouth to say something else. But he freezes, averting his eyes in shame. “Um… thank you, sir.” He repeats, losing his courage.

That catches White Hat’s attention, but as he doesn’t wish to intrude, he let’s it go. “You’re welcome, my little one,” He pats Slug’s soaking wet head, smirking at his handiwork; at least now Slug is clean. “Please wait here while I get you a towel and a change of clothes, alright?”

Slug smirks, the spark of mischief in his eyes. “Coulda had a towel already.” He points out, teasing his guardian.

White Hat chuckles in good humor, figuring he earned that one. “Yes yes, I’m  _ so _ mean for not letting you track water through the suite,” He stands, before giving Slug a mock bow. “A moment, your majesty. I will be back shortly.”

Slug giggles, but otherwise nods, humming a tune to himself while he waits. White Hat’s heart melts at the sound, delighted by how sweet and adorable his charge is while aged down. Even if Slug is behaving well, the hero still hurries, not wanting his ward to get too cold. Hurrying back into the bedroom, White Hat digs through Slug’s suitcase, pulling out the boy’s favorite red turtleneck, a pair of white and grey striped pajama pants, and a black Green Day T-shirt. The demon can’t help but grimace at the picture of a bleeding heart grenade on the shirt, but at least Slug will be wearing his turtleneck over it. With the clothes sorted out, White Hat leaves them in a pile on the bed, rushing back to the living room. He goes for the plastic bags first, pulling out a package of adult diapers, baby wipes, and baby powder. He then grabs several towels from the linen closet, taking them and the changing supplies back to the bedroom. With everything properly gathered, White Hat returns with everything back to the bathroom.

To the hero’s gratitude, Slug is exactly where he left him, still sitting upright in the now empty bathtub, but he’s begun to shiver a little. “Hi!” Slug greets, grinning despite how cold he is.

White Hat nods, stepping forward. “Yes, hello S-” He slips on a soapbar, comically enough, falling backwards and landing flat on his back.

Slug winces, pouting. “Oops,” He says, giggling at what happened. “You fell down!”

White Hat groans, stars spinning in his vision. “Yes, I see that,” He mutters through gritted teeth, sitting up with a wince. “Goodness, that hurt! That’s why we need to look where we’re going, isn’t it, Sammy?”

Slug nods, continuing to laugh. White Hat eventually gathers up the supplies again, just glad that nothing got wet. After laying a few towels out on the floor to soak up all the water from earlier, the demon gets the last towel wrapped around Slug, quickly patting the delinquent dry. Slug takes this well, not squirming or fighting at all as his guardian dries him off. Once the boy is entirely dry, White Hat lays him down on the floor, hesitating for a moment. He knows that Slug put up a fight about it earlier, but… will Sammy? Either way, White Hat isn’t taking any chances, making it quick as he pulls out a diaper from it’s packaging, powdering Slug lightly before he tapes the diaper into place, secretly surprised that it’s so easy; comedy shows on TV make it look so hard! Slug doesn’t bat an eye, other than grimacing somewhat at the feeling, unused to wearing protection. White Hat let’s him sit up once he’s done, unable to contain a smile at just how adorable his ward looks, especially after he adds the band T-shirt.

Slug pauses, looking down at himself. “Feels… puffy,” He says, poking the front of his diaper. “Is it… supposed to?”

White Hat chuckles, getting the boy’s turtleneck next, before tugging it onto his ward. “Yes, it is. You need to keep it on, alright? It’s to keep you from making a mess, in-case you accidentally wet yourself.” He hopes that will be enough to satisfy the delinquent, not wanting to argue when things have gone relatively smoothly so far.

Slug just nods, finding that logic sound. “That makes sense… hard to ‘member sometimes,” He admits, not at all ashamed of himself when this deep in headspace. “But, um… can I wear pants please?”

“Yes you may! Such good manners,” White Hat says, helping Slug to his feet. He has to guide the young villain’s legs into the pants legs, but thankfully Slug doesn’t fall over or anything. With his ward fully dressed, White Hat smiles, hands on his hips as he looks the boy over. “Much better! Do you feel good now that you’re all cleaned up?”

Slug hesitates, looking himself over again, before grinning at White Hat, giving him a big, excited nod. “Yep! Feels good!” He agrees. Suddenly, he leans forward, hugging the demon close to himself. “Thank you for helpin’ me!”

White Hat softens, hugging Slug back. “You’re welcome, little one…” He pulls back after a moment, hands on Slug’s shoulders. “Now, are you ready to get your surprise for being good?”

Slug’s eyes widen, bouncing in place. “Yeah!” He shouts, having entirely forgotten about the plastic bags.

White Hat takes Slug by the hand, leading him through the bedroom and back into the living room. “Here, let me get you your presents,” He offers, sitting Slug down on the couch. “But I need you to close your eyes first, okay? No peeking!”

“Got it!” Slug slaps his hands over his eyes, wincing a little at the sting from how hard he threw his hands up.

“Easy, son… don’t hurt yourself,” White Hat warns. With Slug settled, the demon goes to the kitchen table, grabbing the other bags, of which there are only three, as the other two he brought in held the bath and changing supplies. He sets the bags beside the couch, handing one of them to Slug by setting it on the boy’s lap. “Alright… open your eyes and look!”

Slug grins, nearly tearing the plastic apart in his haste to get to his present. He gasps, grinning like a happy monkey when he finds several plastic train carts. “Trains!” He yells, his love for locomotives just as obvious when he’s in headspace as it is when he isn’t. “Thank you! I love them so much!” He begins fiddling with one, spinning the wheels and giggling.

White Hat watches for a moment, before setting another bag in Slug’s lap. “There’s one more after this one,” He promises, secretly leaving the best for last, but he wants to get this one out of the way first. “Go ahead; see what I got you.”

Slug seems a tad hesitant to set his new trains aside, but he does so in order to search for his next present. From inside the bag, he pulls out a few things; a package of three pacifiers, two baby bottles, and two sippy cups. Although they’re not particularly exciting, he still smiles, as one of the sippy cups has Thomas the Train Engine, and a Charizard on the other one. “These are so cool!” He says, looking ready to begin sucking on one, but he sets it aside, smiling up at white Hat eagerly. “Thank you!”

White Hat can’t get enough of his age-slid kid acting so polite; he wishes Slug was like this out of headspace, too. “You’re very welcome, my sweet boy… there’s just one more gift, but for this one, I need you to close your eyes and hold out your hands, alright?” He secretly begins pulling out the gift from it’s bag as he says this, careful to make sure Slug can’t see it yet.

Slug nods, squeezing his eyes shut. “Okay!” He promises, holding out his hands. Very delicately, White Hat sets the gift in Slug’s hands, smiling wide as the criminal opens his eyes, gasping at the sight. “A wolf!” He shouts, hugging the stuffed animal against his chest. “I love him so much! He’s so soft and cuddly!” He pauses, pulling the wolf away from himself to look it over, and suddenly, there are tears in his eyes. “Wow… I don’t think I’ve ever had a stuffie ‘fore… maybe I did as a baby, but mama musta thrown it away…” He looks back up at White Hat, tears streaming down his face. “Thank you, daddy.”

White Hat feels his heart stop, his eyes wide. “What…  _ what _ did you just call me?”

Slug panics immediately, tossing his stuffie down as he tries to remedy the mistake. “I’m s-sorry, sir, I didn’t-”

“-No,” White Hat holds up a hand, giving the delinquent a stern, but not in any way unloving, look. “Please, Sammy… what did you call me?”

“Um…” Slug averts his eyes, blushing with shame.  _ “D-Daddy? _ I’m s-sorry, I won’t call you that if you d-”

“-Son,” And there’s such a  _ warmth _ in White Hat’s voice… he smiles so very fondly at his ward, picking him up and cuddling him to his chest, hushing his sobs as Slug cries into his shirt. “Son, I  _ love _ you calling me that… I’m happy to be your father, if you’d let me.”

“… Okay,” Slug agrees, sounding a tad fearful. “But what abouts my old daddy? Won’t he be mad?”

“As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t  _ deserve _ to be called a father,” White Hat looks away for a moment, feeling guilty. “I’m not sure if I deserve it either, but… I  _ want _ to be that for you, if I can.”

“I want you to be my daddy, too,” Slug confirms, hugging the superhero like his life depends on it. “I… I don’t wanna be ‘lone no more… it's lonely. And sad. And scary.”

White Hat nods, hugging Slug a little tighter. “Although I can’t guarantee any miracles, I’ll do my best to keep you happy, safe, warm, and loved,” He sighs, running his hands through Slug's still-damp hair, wishing not for the first time that he could undo all the trauma and pain from his son's life. “I love you so very much, Sammy… I’ll never let anyone hurt you, not ever again.” As he says this, he picks back up Slug’s stuffed wolf, handing it to his son for him to cuddle with.

Slug happily takes the wolf plushie, pulling it under his arm as he uses the other to hold onto White Hat, wrapping it around the back of the hero’s neck. Slowly, Slug nods off, fast asleep now that he feels safe again. White Hat holds him the entire time, delighted to have such happiness in his life again. This isn’t how he expected this vacation to go- or how he expected his rehabilitation of Slug to go- but he can’t say he minds… he has a lot of research to do when he gets home.

…

The next few days pass as a bit of a blur for Slug; sometimes he’s one-hundred percent aware of what’s happening around him, and other times he thinks he’s asleep, but he isn’t. Needless to say, he has a hard time looking White Hat in the eye once the convention weekend is over and done with. According to White Hat, and just based off of the few memories Slug can recall when the drop is completely over, they did indeed go to the convention for each day, but they did so sparsely and with Slug halfway between headspaces, sudden slides and sudden climbs deciding whether or not they’d stay at the convention center for very long. Other than that, and a few clips of being in the hotel suite, Slug hardly recalls what happened, and considering the fact that he  _ knows  _ he was in a younger headspace for most of it… yeah, he’s pretty sure he doesn’t want to remember. He especially doesn’t want to as he helps clean up the suite with White Hat, avoiding eye contact at all costs as he rushes to get things done.

“You know I’m not mad at you, right?” White Hat says; it’s not his first time trying to start a conversation today, and Slug has a feeling it won’t be the last. “Please, son, don’t beat yourself up over something you can’t control; it was only a matter of time before you dropped.”

“I’m not…  _ beating  _ myself,” Slug doesn’t really want to respond- or maybe he does, he’ll never fucking know!- but he does so in order to shut White Hat up. “Is it so bad that I don’t want to talk after what happened? Am I not allowed to have my privacy? I don’t want to talk about it.”

Unfortunately for Slug, White Hat isn’t keen on putting the past behind them. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, son,” He promises, all while fixing up the beds, stripping them of their dirty sheets and blankets and setting them aside so that the cleaning crew will have an easier time cleaning up after them; it’s the least he can do for not letting them anywhere near the suite for three days straight. “While it’s a rather uncommon occurrence, that doesn’t mean it’s  _ bad.” _

Slug growls, setting down a folded throw blanket just a  _ little  _ too hard. “What part of  _ ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ _ do you  _ not  _ understand?” At this point, he doesn’t care if White Hat might decide that him acting this way is a spankable offense, he just wants everything to be quiet.

This time, White Hat just sighs, shaking his head in disappointment, which makes Slug feel… _ weird.  _ He curses himself internally, hating how emotional he is before and after a headspace drop- at this point, he’s starting to think he’s just an emotional person- and how being in his younger headspace effects him afterwards. Again, Slug has next to no recollection of his weekend with White Hat, only remembering bits and pieces of scenes, all out of order and without context, but he knows that his younger self feels a lot… _ better,  _ about the demon. It’s almost like White Hat isn’t as dangerous anymore, like the superhero has finally lived up to that title, unlike so many people before him, and Slug is struggling with that. Deep down, he knows by now that White Hat isn’t like most heroes he’s encountered- he’s too kind, too naive- but some instinctual part of his brain recoils at the very  _ thought  _ of getting close to the hero, believing it would only end in pain and suffering. Or even worse, love, which would end in rejection.

When they’re finally done cleaning up the hotel suite- something Slug hadn’t had the heart to argue with, as he didn’t want the cleaning staff to find anything…  _ troubling- _ the duo double check that they have everything. It’s while they’re doing this, and Slug is looking through his backpack, that he finds… _ a stuffed wolf? _ He tilts his head, puzzled, before pulling out the plushie to look it over better. It’s not old by any means, looking brand new, but it’s got a built in wornness to it that makes it seem  _ very  _ beloved. The wolf is dark grey, has a stitched up scar across it’s left eye, and wears a bright red bandana around it’s neck. Even if he doesn’t recognize it right away, small snippets of holding and cuddling the plushie come to mind, allowing Slug to remember that this is indeed  _ his  _ stuffie… but where did he  _ get it?  _ To his knowledge, he’s never had a stuffie- if he ever did, his mother probably tossed it out at some point- which begs the question of how it got into his possession.

Glancing skeptically up at White Hat, Slug holds up the plushie to the demon, raising an eyebrow as well at him. “Um… care to explain, boss?” Because at this point, he just  _ knows  _ this is White Hat’s doing… this type of unnecessary doting is right up his alley.

White Hat doesn’t appear the least bit surprised, nor ashamed. “Why, that’s your new stuffie! I got him for you Saturday evening, during your first drop of the weekend,” He smiles brightly at the young delinquent, looking far too proud of himself. “If I recall correctly, you started calling him  _ ‘Timber’  _ soon after I gave him to you.”

Slug grimaces, giving the wolf plushie a long, hard look. “… Why did you get this for me?” He specifically doesn’t say  _ ‘him’, _ not wanting to get attached; it’ll probably get tossed the minute he’s bad, right? No point in starting to like the damned thing… even if it  _ is  _ soft.

White Hat doesn’t bat an eye. “Because I love you,” When this earns stunned silence, the hero pauses what he’s doing, looking Slug directly in the eyes. “… I mean it, Slug. I really  _ do  _ love you. With all my heart.”

Slug huffs, unknowingly gripping the plushie a little tighter. “You love  _ everyone.”  _ He deadpans, trying to find a way to turn the demon’s words against him.

“That I do,” White Hat rolls with it, acting far too calm for Slug’s liking. “But I love  _ you  _ especially. You’re a  _ very  _ good person, Slug… whether you believe it or not.”

“I’m still a  _ villain,”  _ At this point, Slug isn’t sure if he’s talking like this because he’s self-destructive, angry, or both. In any case, he wants to prove White Hat- and maybe even that stupid little kid in his head- wrong. “Kinda hard to give a shit about a criminal, isn’t it? For all you know, I could have  _ murdered  _ people- I could be a  _ rapist-  _ so why are you pretending that you care about me?”

“I  _ know  _ you’re not a rapist, son; don’t even joke about something like that.” White Hat sounds just the slightest bit annoyed; it makes Slug want to start a fight.

“I’m not joking,” Slug casually sits on the nearest bed- is he doing it to protect his backside? Maybe- putting on an air of mock confidence to try and piss his guardian off. “And you didn’t answer my question, boss; why do you give a flying  _ fuck  _ about my sorry ass?”

White Hat, very calmly, sets his suitcase aside. He walks towards Slug, face unreadable, and Slug offhandedly wonders if this is it; will he be beaten for asking too many questions? Spanked for acting up? Will White Hat finally give up on him, so he can convince the little kid in his skull to stop getting his hopes up? The demon pauses in front of Slug, looking him over, and for a brief,  _ brief  _ moment, Slug wonders if this is going to end in assault. To the delinquent’s surprise, White Hat doesn’t do anything that he expects. The hero doesn’t beat him, doesn’t abandon him, hell, he doesn’t even  _ spank him! _ Swiftly, White Hat takes Slug by the arm-  _ Slug can see this going wrong in his head, can imagine the person in front of him holding him down, a hand over his mouth, telling him to be quiet and take it, just like the prison guard-  _ and pulls him to his feet, wrapping his arms around the criminal within the blink of an eye. Slug stands there in complete and utter shock, trying to figure out the punchline, but to his surprise, there is none.

“Act as flippant and aggressive as you want, Samuel,” The sound of Slug’s birth name coming out of White Hat’s mouth has him feeling weird, like it’s not supposed to be normal, but it feels all too right. “I know you’re just trying to hurt yourself, trying to sabotage your future… it doesn’t matter what happens from here, son, I’ll  _ always  _ love you. I didn’t know it at the time that I met you, but I think I have since then as well, maybe even longer.”

“That’s… that’s…” Slug tries to call it weird- tries to keep being bratty and angry and rude- but he can’t get a single coherent word out, because to his horror, he can tell White Hat  _ isn’t  _ bluffing. This guy actually,  _ legitimately  _ loves Slug… and he doesn’t know how to handle that.

“It’s a  _ start,”  _ White Hat decides, pulling away. He keeps his hands on Slug’s shoulders, tilting his head and smiling at the youthful villain before him. “I’ll be honest, son; I haven't the slightest idea what I’m doing. I’m trying, I know that much, but I’m not exactly _ professionally trained  _ to be a parent… but I’ll be cursed if I don’t at least try.”

“Wait, what’s all this about parenting?” Slug steps back, subconsciously hugging the stuffed wolf to his chest. “Did I miss something?”

White Hat grins, chuckling at the look of shock on Slug’s face. “I suppose you wouldn’t remember, seeing as you were mentally young at the time… Saturday afternoon, you started referring to me as your father. At first, I was a little surprised, but I must say, I quite like it!”

Slug’s face goes about twenty shades of red, and even if it is childish, he turns to shoving his face into the stuffed wolf’s tummy, unbelievably embarrassed and wishing the floor would open to swallow him whole. “Are you fucking  _ kidding me?” _ He doesn’t yell- wouldn’t want any other hotel guests to hear him hollering- his voice dripping with shame.

White Hat sounds like he wants to laugh again, but he doesn’t, if only to not embarrass his ward. Which, unfortunately, embarrasses him _ even more,  _ as he can tell that White Hat is being  _ courteous…  _ another sign that he’s being serious. “Please don’t be upset with yourself, Slug. It was to be expected, as I was caring for you like a father would.”

“You have  _ clearly  _ never had a father then.” Slug mutters, refusing to meet White Hat’s gaze even  _ after  _ shoving the stuffed animal back into his backpack.

“Maybe not,” White Hat admits, patting Slug lightly on the shoulder. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know that fathers are supposed to be good role models for their children, and are meant to support and raise them with love and affection.”

“Again,  _ not  _ how dads are, at least from what I’ve seen,” Slug huffs, eventually glancing shyly back at his guardian- and god, isn’t  _ that  _ another embarrassing thing to think about- to meet his eyes, a sternness in his own. “This  _ never  _ leaves this room, understand?” He’s firm on the matter, not wanting to imagine Clementia or anyone else finding out about any of this nonsense.

“Of course, of course,” White Hat puts his hands up in mock surrender, aware of how feisty Slug is right now. “You know I would never purposefully try to embarrass you… I tease you, yes, but it’s all in good fun, and I would  _ never  _ poke fun at you for having a younger headspace; I only enjoy teasing you when you’re being rude or knowingly mean,” He looks away, smiling with more fondness than humor, which catches his charge off-guard. “I know you have no intention of being little around me again- a feit I do not believe is possible, after seeing how young you truly are- but if you ever feel the urge, I am more than happy to help… and although you probably wouldn’t want to be calling me  _ ‘daddy’  _ when you’re more mature, I certainly wouldn’t mind you calling me  _ ‘dad’  _ instead.”

A lot of things in White Hat’s speech catch Slug by surprise- the admission that White Hat is okay with acting as a caregiver again, the idea that he wants to be called dad- but the fact that Slug at some point, likely more than once, called his boss  _ ‘daddy’,  _ has him absolutely fucking  _ reeling,  _ blushing bright red all over again. “Oh my  _ god,”  _ He says, horrified. “Yeah, I ain’t  _ ever  _ calling you that again, old man.” He feels sick to his stomach to have called his boss something so infantile, but… he shakes his head, dispelling the thought of calling his guardian anything other than  _ ‘boss’  _ or  _ ‘sir’  _ from his mind; he will  _ not  _ go down that route, far too old and mature to act so clingy and desperate.

White Hat frowns deeply, eyes downcast, and the fact that he’s  _ disappointed-  _ that he legitimately  _ wants  _ Slug to see him as a father- is mind-boggling for the villain.  _ “Oh…  _ I understand, my boy,” He sighs, before picking up the suitcases, looking damn near ready to cry, shockingly enough. “My apologizes for bringing it up… I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Before White Hat can get out the door, Slug catches him by the arm, stopping him in his tracks. The delinquent sighs, deeply, before giving his boss an apologetic look. “… I’m sorry, sir,” He says, some part of his brain telling him it’s wrong to call him anything but- “I know I might’ve called you that when I was acting like a kid, but… not everything carries over. Sorry to disappoint you.”

White Hat offers his ward a small smile, but still looks pretty depressed. “That’s alright, Slug. It was wrong of me to try forcing it on you… still, if you need my help with your age-sliding, I’m still  _ more  _ than delighted to be there for you.”

Slug sort of smiles, but not really. “I’ll keep it in mind,” He promises, waiting until White Hat is out of the room to pick up his and the demon’s backpacks, feeling all kinds of guilty and upset. “… I’m sorry, dad… I’m just not ready yet.” He mutters to himself, before finally following after his boss. He hopes that once they’re home, this’ll all just be a thing of the past, but Slug has the sneaking suspicion that this is only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is… too long. I’m so sorry. Still, I was really happy to write it, and I’m excited to continue writing for this fic! I’ve got a bunch of ideas for what I want to do next, but I don’t want to rush anything too hard! I’m thinking it might be about time we bring in everyone’s second favorite bear, don’t ya think? Feel free to send me questions if you have any, both in the comments and on my Tumblr for this series: “age-sliding-flug”! Speaking of comments, please comment if you enjoyed this chapter, as I’d really appreciate it! Have an amazing day!


	11. brother and sister bonding, also there’s a bear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so freaking long, guys! Spent a lot of time contemplating on where the plot was going, as I already have the ending all planned out, but I want more build-up before then. I think I’ve got it figured out now, so I hope you guys can be patient as I write it all out for you! I hope you enjoy this new chapter, y’all!

“I’m upset with him.”

“Really now?”

“Yeah… and I don’t even know why.”

In all honesty, White Hat didn’t expect to run into his roommates this late at night. He thought he heard something a little while ago- the light click of a lock coming undone- and by instinct, he had gone to investigate. It wasn’t until the demon was halfway to Slug’s bedroom that he remembered, very suddenly, that Slug hasn’t required a lock on his door in over a month, the criminal now permitted to explore the house at all hours of the day without his permission. Even with this in mind, White Hat gave the rest of his mansion a careful once-over, only finding a half open window, which he was quick to shut. It’s while he was heading back to his bedroom to turn in for the night that he saw that someone was fiddling around in the kitchen, and so he peeked through the cracked open door to see who it was. To his surprise, he found Clementia and Slug, and sensing the tension, the older hero has taken to eavesdropping on them.

“Well, what has White Hat done that’s got you so upset with him, sweetheart?” Clementia finally asks, sounding curious to hear her roommate’s answer. She’s seated at the kitchen table, a steaming mug of tea in her hands, hardly even sipped at by the looks of it.

Slug sighs very deeply, before fitfully taking a seat at the table across from the woman, eyes trained on the tabletop and in particular his own steaming mug; judging by the smell, White Hat is fairly certain it’s hot chocolate. “I… I don’t really know, at least, not  _ entirely,”  _ He admits, struggling with his words. “I feel like… I feel like I  _ want  _ to hate him, but for some reason I _ can’t,  _ and that’s  _ really  _ frustrating for me.”

Clementia smiles kindly at Slug, as if she’s proud of him. “Sweetheart, there’s nothing wrong with not hating him anymore! If anything, this is a great improvement for you! You should be proud of-”

“-You don’t  _ get it!” _ Slug snaps, irritated at the superhero. “I don’t even know  _ why  _ I feel like this, for Christ’s sake! I… I know it’s got to do with-” He cuts himself, eyes wide with a sudden realization. He stutters a little under his breath, changing what he was going to say. “-Um… I know it has to do with something that happened at the  _ convention,” _ He explains, blushing bright red. “Ever since the con, I feel like… I  _ feel  _ like I  _ want  _ to be mean, rude, and awful to him, but… I  _ can’t, _ and now I don’t know what to do with myself. I mean, I can still be snarky- I’m like that with everyone- but I can’t… I can’t be a  _ villain  _ anymore, and I kinda hate it.”

White Hat’s eyes widen, amazed by the admission. On one hand, he wants to jump for joy, delighted that Slug is having a change of heart, but on the other hand… he understands how Slug feels, and he wants to help, but he doesn’t know how. Deep down, White Hat can relate with wanting to be angry but not feeling like he’s capable of it; it’s exactly how he feels about his twin brother a majority of the time. Yes, he knows it’s right and natural for him to be angry at Black Hat- if anything, it’s to be expected- but no matter how hard White Hat tries to, he can’t bring himself to truly despise his brother, the most vile emotion he can replicate being slight frustration. Although the superhero knows his relationship with Slug is nothing like it is with Black Hat, he can still empathize with Slug’s frustration, and can by extension understand the boy’s wish to not change his mind and keep hating his guardian.

Soon enough, Clementia finally breaks the silence, bringing White Hat back to focus on the present. “Have you thought about telling White Hat how you feel?” She asks, trying to find a way to help.

Slug hesitates, averting his eyes. “I mean… that would be weird, wouldn’t it? I don’t wanna tell him point blank that I love him, but that I would much rather keep wanting to kill him. That’s so…  _ weird.” _

“Honey, you’re a semi-reformed supervillain whose biggest threat is getting spanked by the superhero trying to teach you how to stop being a villain; I’m pretty sure you’re past the  _ ‘weird’  _ stage,” Clementia says, giggling when Slug blushes again, loudly slurping his cocoa to avoid responding to his roommate’s words. Once she’s done laughing, Clementia smiles again at Slug, reaching across the table to gently drum her fingers on the back of his hand. “No matter what you say or do, kiddo… White Hat  _ loves  _ you. I know that’s hard to believe- I know you’ve been through some seriously nasty stuff, even if you haven’t told me what happened yet- but no matter what it was, it’s never going to be like that again. Healing takes time… believe me, I know it’s hard,” She pauses, glancing curiously at Slug’s face, before staring down at her mug. “… Did I ever tell you what brought me here? What made me start living with White Hat?”

Slug appears surprised, eyes widening a fraction. He glances up at Clementia, his gaze full of concern. “You don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable…” He freezes, aware of how that could be taken. “I-I mean, you can still talk about it if you want to, I just don’t wanna force you to!”

Clementia chuckles, amused by Slug’s sputtering. “It’s okay, love; I want to,” She takes a minute to drink some of her tea, contemplating on what she will and won’t say, before finally speaking again. “I think it was…  _ seven  _ years ago? I was twenty-three at the time. Growing up, my parents were kinda… _ awful.  _ They didn’t like that I only wanted to be with girls, if you catch my drift,” She takes a thoughtful sip from her mug. “Come to think of it, I think they just didn’t like me in general. I was too… _ me,” _ She sighs, before continuing. “I met this other girl when I was, like, twelve or thirteen… she became my best friend, and we stayed friends throughout high school. Her parents were really cool, so I crashed at her place a lot, seeing as it was safe and all. She was so sweet… always happy, always dancing around. I loved her so much, but her head was up in the clouds, so she never noticed. After high school, we ran away together; just started hitchhiking around the country as a dynamic duo, making memories and seeing the sights.

“After about two years, we separated. We wanted different things- she wanted to keep running around and I wanted to settle down- so we decided it was better if we went our separate ways. I met this guy a couple weeks later… he was nice, and I was stupid, so I let him take me in. Turns out he was a total psycho; beat the crap outta me, assaulted me, you name it and he probably did it. One day, after about three years of living with that jerkhole, we were getting a ride from a friend of his. We were in the backseat of the other guy’s car, and he just kept… tugging on my hair, talking about how he’d cut it all off if didn’t blow him in the car; driver didn’t even comment or look back at us, just kept driving. I remember being so angry, wondering how I got myself into such an awful situation. We were on the highway, and I kept staring out the window, watching all the other drivers speed by… my ex got pissed, and shouted something, and the next thing I knew, I opened his door and threw him out onto the road.

“He died pretty much instantly; he went under the wheels of the truck driver behind us. His buddy was screaming, calling me all sorts of awful things, but I didn’t care. After he pulled over, I jumped out of the car and ran, but he caught up with me. He… he did some bad stuff to me. When I woke up, I was…  _ yeah, _ it was _ bad. _ I just… walked along the highway afterwards, trying to find help. At some point it started raining, and I remember seeing this huge, white mansion in the distance… I thought I was  _ hallucinating.  _ But I was hurting so bad, I just wanted some help, so I knocked on the door and waited for an answer… and then I met White Hat. At first I hated him- I thought him being kind to me was fake, like how my ex was, and I kept thinking he was gonna hurt me like he did- but after awhile I realized he was safe. It took me a long time, and sometimes I still get triggered, but White Hat’s helped me overcome a lot of my trauma.

“So yeah, I know it’s hard to trust him, lil’ guy,” Clementia’s smile is so kind and full of affection when she looks at Slug, it has White Hat’s heart aching with empathy. “But trust me… he  _ adores  _ you, and he’ll never let anything bad happen to you again. It’s gonna take time, and I know you’re gonna keep trying to be angry, but it’ll fade overtime, and then you’ll finally feel better. There’ll be bad days- days where you wish nothing bad had ever happened to begin with- but me and White Hat will be here for you, and we’ll do our best to make it better.”

Slug hiccups, moved both by Clementia’s story and her promises of love. He stands from his chair, a bit shaky, and Clementia meets him halfway, standing up and hugging him tightly against her chest. The young delinquent sobs under his breath, hugging the woman back. “I’m… I’m so _ sorry, _ Clem,” He mumbles, sounding heartbroken to hear what his roommate’s been through. “I know what it’s like to have shitty parents… I’m sorry that you had to deal with so much bullshit, even after you got away from them.”

“It’s alright, darling,” Clementia promises, daring to kiss the criminal’s forehead, not that Slug seems to mind. “It’s been a long time since all of that happened… I’m doing better now, thanks to you and White Hat.”

“Me?” Slug is confused, backing up a fraction to raise an eyebrow at Clementia. “What do you mean? I’m an asshole; all I do is make things worse.”

Clementia pulls a face, not at all amused by Slug’s self-deprecation. “Don’t be mean to yourself,” She orders, not that it comes out very commanding. “And you don’t make things worse… you definitely like to run White Hat up a wall sometimes, but I know you never do it out of malice. You’re just…  _ rebellious.” _

_ “Rebellious… _ you make it sound like I’m a teenager.” Slug huffs at the notion, not seeing his behavior the same way as his roommate.

“Well, you certainly act like one, doll,” Clementia says, giggling when Slug scowls at her. She hugs him again, ruffling his hair playfully. “Gosh, you’re such a lil’ cutie! No wonder your dad’s crazy about you!”

“He’s not my-” Slug pauses, thinking about it, before averting his eyes, frustrated with the truth. “… He’s not my  _ dad,”  _ He mutters, though he doesn’t sound very sure of himself. “It would be ridiculous to even think so… besides, he’d probably beat the shit out of me if I called him that.”

Clementia rolls her eyes at Slug. “Well if he’s not your dad, then that must make me the president of Mexico,” She giggles at her own joke, even if it wasn’t that funny. “You know, if you asked if you could call him that, I’m sure he’d let you!”

Slug huffs again, eyeing his sock-clad feet to avoid meeting his roommate’s eyes. “… Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I can,” He admits, sounding incredibly depressed. “I don’t exactly associate father figures with good things, ya know?”

“Believe me, I totally get it,” Clementia agrees, patting Slug on the head again. “But trust me, kiddo, White Hat ain’t  _ anything  _ like your old dad, I promise you that.”

“… I  _ know,”  _ Slug mumbles, blushing a little. “But it’s still hard… sometimes I look at him, and I just wanna punch him in the face as hard as I can. Other times… I kinda wanna hug him,” He puts his face in his hands, as it’s grown impossibly red. _ “Ugh,  _ that’s  _ so  _ embarrassing to admit… promise not to tell him, okay? I’m pretty sure I’d drop dead of humiliation.”

“I won’t,” Clementia promises, giving Slug another kiss on the forehead. “We oughta head to bed soon, darling… got  _ lots  _ of work to do tomorrow.”

“Don’t remind me,” Slug orders, appearing annoyed at the reminder. “I’ve got, like,  _ seven  _ meetings with potential recruits tomorrow, and that’s not even  _ including  _ my other projects!”

“Just don’t burn yourself out, buckaroo,” Clementia says, picking up her mug to take with her. As an afterthought, she picks up Slug’s mug as well, handing it to him. “Don’t know what Whitie would do if you passed out from exhaustion again.”

“For the last time, I was  _ sick,  _ not overworked,” Slug corrects, though White Hat can tell that he’s lying through his teeth. “Also, buckaroo is a stupid nickname.”

“It suits you, junior,” Clementia defends the nickname, all while turning to face the door, ready to leave; White Hat side steps, turning into a cat to avoid being seen as easily. “Again, please go to bed at a normal time tonight… as in soon, because it’s already, like, two AM.”

“Actually it’s three AM, but close enough.” Slug sips his drink loudly, wanting to poke fun at his roommate.

Clementia snorts, amused by Slug’s response. “Dork,” She scolds lightly, shaking her head at the young villain. “Goodnight, Slug… sweet dreams.” She then exits the kitchen, not even noticing White Hat as she hurries to her room, eager to get back to sleep.

“Yeah yeah… as if I have anything  _ other  _ than fucking nightmares,” Slug sighs to himself, making for the doorway. “Oh well… once my latest project is done, maybe I’ll sleep a bit easier, knowing we’re all safe… that is, if White Hat doesn’t kill me for what I’ve got planned. I know he’ll be mad at first- hell, I’ll probably get my ass beat over it- but I don’t care; I’m not going to let his pacifism complex get anyone killed.” He finally exits the kitchen, also not noticing White Hat as he makes for his bedroom, yawning loudly as he walks by the cat.

Once Slug is out of sight, White Hat shape-shifts back to his usual appearance, feeling conflicted. Clementia’s opened up to him about her past before, so that’s not what’s bothering him… no, what’s bothering him is what Slug said when he thought he was alone. What on  _ earth  _ is that little delinquent planning? By the sound of it, it’s something White Hat isn’t going to like, but will help him in the long run. Is Slug planning on building a weapon? That’s possible, considering the fact that Slug is banned from building such a thing, and that would certainly make his guardian upset. As easy of a solution as that is, White Hat has a feeling it’s something that’s somehow  _ worse…  _ still, he’s probably on the right track. Shaking his head, the demon straightens himself out, aware that he should head to bed as well, especially if he wants to keep a closer eye on Slug for the next few days. Blinking, he teleports back to his room, all the while wondering what his little curiosity is up to.

Whatever it is, White Hat just hopes it doesn’t get his kid killed… or  _ worse. _

…

Things are incredibly tense after that, which, to be perfectly honest, White Hat was sort of expecting. He loves Slug- truly, he does- but it’s through this love that he sees how painfully  _ stubborn  _ the delinquent can be. It doesn’t matter how hard White Hat tries to show his ward that he cares about him; Slug’s distrust in others is too high for him to understand that he’s finally with a safe person. Because of this, whether Slug realizes it or not, he ends up pushing the people in his life away, believing solitude to be safer than vulnerability. Thankfully for Slug, but not so thankfully for his guardian, they both live in an incredibly large mansion, making it easier for the young man to avoid White Hat, doing almost everything in his power to avoid being alone with him. Predictably, this gets ridiculous embarrassingly fast, and were the situation not as concerning for White Hat, he’d probably be laughing at some of the ways Slug has been dodging him over the past two weeks.

They’re both walking down the same hallway, and they’re certain to cross paths? Slug will run into the nearest bathroom/closet and wait until White Hat has walked away before he continues toward his destination. They happen to run into each other in the library? Slug will grab whatever book he’s reading and take off like the gates of hell have opened, leaving White Hat in the dust. Dinner is being served, but Clementia is out still, so it’s only going to be the men of the house eating? White Hat will be lucky if he sees Slug sneaking in to grab a plate of food, if he gets to see him at all! Unfortunately, there’s not a lot White Hat can do to stop the boy, as Slug isn’t doing anything  _ wrong  _ really, just… something _ frustrating, _ and that’s not enough to call for an intervention. And if  _ that  _ weren’t enough, the longer this goes on- about two weeks, give or take- the more convinced White Hat has become that Slug is doing something that will get him hurt.

Around the two week mark, Slug himself is the one that puts an end to it, but not in the way that White Hat would have expected. It’s so sudden, the demon is given little time to prepare his _ ‘I love you with all my heart so can you please stop pushing me away?’ _ speech. One minute, White Hat is in the kitchen reading from a cookbook, the next, Slug’s got him by the arm and is dragging him out of his seat and down the hall. White Hat tries several times to scold Slug to slow down or listen to him, but the criminal completely ignores his elder, continuing to drag his guardian excitedly towards their new destination. It doesn’t take long, Slug practically kicking the door to the den open in his haste to get things started. In the den, Clementia is already there, looking a bit bedraggled herself, as if she too got yanked away from whatever she was doing before this. Before White Hat can ask her what’s going on, Slug forces the hero to sit next to her on the couch.

“Dr. Slug Flys, what in the  _ world  _ is the  _ meaning  _ of this!?” White Hat asks as he tries to adjust his top hat, which nearly fell off on the way here.

“That’s what I’ve been wondering for the last few minutes, love,” Clementia admits, giving White Hat an empathetic smile as she fixes up his bow-tie for him. “Seems our resident scientist has something to show us.”

“Precisely!” Slug says, standing proudly in front of the two superheroes. Now that he’s finally still, White Hat can see that he looks completely out of sorts. His clothes are an absolute mess, his hair’s wild and untamed, and his eyes are somewhat dilated, as if he injected caffeine directly into his bloodstream. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve brought you here today to discuss a very important issue that the White Hat Organization has been facing for a long time now, and my solution for said issue!” His words snap White Hat out of it, drawing back into the conversation.

“Please tell me you’re going to install chocolate fountains throughout the house; if you do that I’ll love you forever.” Clementia promises. Looking giddy at the thought. White Hat mentally winces, knowing that a sugar crazed Clementia is…  _ problematic,  _ to say the least.

“Your love means nothing to me,” Slug deadpans, glaring at Clementia for daring to suggest such a thing; his glaring makes the bags under his eyes even more prominent, suggesting he hasn’t been sleeping very well, which deeply troubles his guardian. “No, I’m here to discuss our  _ security  _ issue.”

“Security?” White Hat is confused by this, not at all getting the issue. “What security issue?”

Slug chuckles dryly, shaking his head at the superhero. “You see  _ that?” _ He uses a ruler- wait, isn’t that the ruler from White Hat’s office? How’d he get ahold of it if he isn’t allowed in there?- to point at a large window nearby. Once Clementia and White Hat have nodded their affirmation, Slug taps his ruler against the coffee table between him and his roommates. “Yeah,  _ that’s  _ a problem. I’ve checked every single window in this house of horrors numerous times, and not a  _ single one _ is connected to any sort of household security system.”

White Hat grimaces, not liking where this is going. “Disregarding the fact that you’ve been fiddling with the windows, young man… what are you trying to suggest? That we weaponize the building? I think not!” He crosses his arms, determined to be stubborn about it. “I want my manor to be a safe haven for all who come to it, and I don’t care to make this place in any way threatening to our future guests!” Although he’s agitated right now, the hero’s secretly relieved that  _ this  _ is what Slug has been up to, and he’s glad that his ward hasn’t built a weapon… at least that he knows of.

Slug rolls his eyes, laughing again at his boss. “Oh, _White Hat,”_ He says, as if he’s talking to a child. “So obnoxiously trusting and sweet… do you _really_ think everyone who wants to get into this place intends to be heroic and kind to you? Really, I’m surprised you haven’t been robbed sooner… actually, scratch that, I’m _not_ surprised,” He points his ruler at the superhero, glaring down his nose at him. “Wanna know a fun secret? I hired seven different people with varying levels of skill to break in and out of this building undetected last week, all at exactly the same time; one AM on the dot! Would you like to know how many of them did this completely undetected by both you _and_ Clementia?” He waits a beat, sneering. “All. Of. Them. Not a _single_ one of them was seen by _anyone_ but _me.”_

White Hat goes even paler than usual, slack jawed. “I… you…” He’s flabbergasted by the news, not sure how to react. “But how-”

“-You hired people to break into our  _ house!?”  _ Clementia questions, somewhere between horrified and pissed. She was chill earlier, fine with letting Slug hold his little  _ ‘meeting’, _ but she’s obviously quite angry to hear what her roommate has been up to. “What were you  _ thinking!? _ Any one of those people could have attacked someone!”

“Oh, it was  _ fine,”  _ Slug insists, waving Clementia off entirely. “I made sure to background check all of them, and I paid them well enough that they didn’t steal anything,” He pauses, brow furrowed, before he huffs. “Okay, one guy almost stole a painting, but I busted his ass with a crowbar before he could get out the window, so it was fine.”

“Samuel Slug Flys!” White Hat stands up at once, using his superior height to loom over the younger man. “Give me  _ one  _ good reason not to put that ruler to better use on your backside for endangering your family!” He typically tries not to make such embarrassing threats to Slug in front of Clementia, but the delinquent has gone way too far this time!

“Chill out, Charles Manson,” Slug suggests, downplaying White Hat’s anger as no big deal; either he’s certain that he’s in the right, or he’s intoxicated to some degree. Either way, his guardian is about ten seconds away from taking him to task. “No one got hurt, right? Save of course for that one guy, but he deserved it…” He shrugs nonchalantly. “In any case, my point in doing all that was to prove to you just how  _ severe  _ our security problem is. Don’t believe me? I’ve got all seven of those people on tape, poking around the mansion for about an hour each. It doesn’t matter  _ what  _ you think; point is, our security is complete horse shit, and if you’re still intent on building up an organization to combat the likes of  _ Black Hat,  _ you need to quit acting like such a humanitarian and realize that not everyone is in your corner. Sooner or later, someone is going to try breaking into this mansion and murdering you in your sleep.”

“… It’s  _ unnecessary,” _ White Hat repeats, not as angry anymore, just frustrated, both with the situation and his ward. He doesn’t want to face something like this, wishing to keep up this idea that everyone who enters his house is here to spread kindness, but Slug is making that incredibly difficult. “B-Besides, I can’t even die! Checkmate, my boy!” He crosses his arms, believing that Slug can’t refute that answer.

Slug rolls his eyes again at the superhero. “Oh yeah, big guy? Wanna  _ bet?” _ He leans up to glare into White Hat’s eyes, trying to prove that he’s not playing around. “How about me and Clem, huh? What’s gonna happen when they give up on you, but decide that me or Clem’s an easier target? How you gonna feel when you wake up to check on us, and find us with slit throats in our sleep? What are you-”

_ “-Stop it, _ Slug!” Clementia barks, jumping up and growling at the young villain. “You’re being needlessly cruel! We get it, okay? _ Lay off!” _

“No, Clem; I need him to understand how serious this is,” Slug explains, sparing the woman an apologetic look, as he doesn’t want to upset her after all she’s done for him, but he believes that he has to. He goes back to glaring at White Hat soon after, continuing with his _ ‘tough guy’ _ routine. “Well, big guy? What do you have to say about _ that?” _

White Hat hesitates, wondering how he should react. After taking a few deep breaths, he levels Slug with a glare of his own. “First of all, you and I are going to have a  _ serious  _ discussion after this meeting, both about your treatment  _ and  _ endangerment of your family members,” He snatches the ruler from Slug, pointing it directly at the delinquent’s chest. “And second… you are, unfortunately, at least  _ somewhat  _ correct,” He sighs, folding his arms behind his back, careful to keep the ruler away from his ward. “We do indeed have weak security… and considering our latest business venture, it would be foolish not to make some…  _ upgrades.” _

Slug smirks, pleased with the superhero’s response. “Glad to see that you’re willing to do something about this,” He holds out his hand to the demon, opening and closing it. “May I please have my ruler back? I need it for my presentation.”

“Presentation?” White Hat inquires, tilting his head in confusion. “What presentation?”

“This one!” Slug practically chirps, directing everyone’s attention to a large, cloth covered object beside him. The villain throws the sheet off, revealing an electronic whiteboard. Again, he holds out his hand to White Hat. “My ruler, please.”

“I know for a  _ fact  _ that this ruler isn’t  _ yours, _ son,” White Hat says, not willing to return the object to the young delinquent. “You can have it back when you learn not t-”

“-Fine, have it your way; I’ve got a back-up.” Slug mutters, interrupting his guardian. To White Hat’s surprise, the criminal unbuttons his jeans, shoving his arm down his pants leg to pull out…  _ another  _ ruler!? This one, if the hero isn’t mistaken, is from one of the storage closets.

“Why did you have that down your pants?” Clementia asks, more baffled than angry at this point. She’s sitting on the couch again, not seeing a point in standing anymore.

“On the off chance that White Hat took the first one away from me,” Slug deadpans, not seeing any issue with it. “What, you really expected me to  _ not  _ have a contingency plan?”

“For getting a ruler taken away? Not really,” Clementia admits, before another idea comes over her. “Wait, where did you even  _ get  _ that one? How many more do you _ have?” _

Slug squints at Clementia, not liking her question. “Don’t worry about it,” He orders, before giving White Hat a less than impressed once-over. “As I was saying… um, you can sit down now, boss.”

White Hat scowls at Slug, hating his behavior more than anything else. “You are in a  _ lot  _ of trouble after this is done.” He warns, but nonetheless sits back down.

Slug huffs, rolling his eyes. “Whatever, you’ll thank me for this later,” He mutters, before finally getting on with the show. He taps his ruler against the whiteboard with one hand, the other pulling a small clicker out of his pocket, which he begins using to pull up a Powerpoint presentation on the whiteboard. “Now, I’ve gathered you both here today to show you my latest schematics for a project I wish to work on, but I wanted to get your opinions first before I get started.” He explains, using the clicker to pull up a slide that shows blueprints for… some kind of big animal?

“Is that… a  _ bear?” _ Clementia asks, tilting her head at the image on-screen.

“Uh, yeah, what else would that thing _ be? _ My  _ mother?”  _ Slug chuckles, shaking his head at his own joke. “Haha, yeah, that woman is the devil… no,  _ this  _ bad boy is experiment 6.0.6!”

“Stitch!” Clementia cheers, excited. “Oh my gosh, I love that movie! Are you  _ really  _ gonna make Stitch real?”

Slug just…  _ stares  _ at Clementia, clearly irritated.  _ “No… _ no, that’s not at  _ all  _ what this fucking thing is,” He says, glaring wholeheartedly at his roommate. “No,  _ this  _ is my way of making it so  _ everyone  _ wins,” He looks to White Hat, appearing almost hopeful. “Look, I’m no engineer… sure, I can get a piece of hardware working, and I can make upgrades to it, but full-on death machines and creating state of the art technology? That’s my brother’s forte, and I don’t care  _ how  _ desperate you get, we are  _ not  _ dragging him into this shit,” He points the ruler directly at his guardian as he says this, clearly not trusting the demon. “However, what I  _ can  _ do is biology, and things associated with that. Given enough access to the right equipment, some money, and a little patience, I guarantee you that I can build a life-sized care bear.”

“A… _ care bear?” _ If White Hat wasn’t confused before, he certainly is now. “Whatever do you mean?”

“I mean exactly what I said; I’ll make you a real motherfucking Sunshine Bear,” Slug promises, looking almost giddy with excitement. “Not  _ only  _ will 606 be an incredibly soft and adorable pet for you to fuss over and cuddle to your heart’s content, but it will double as security for the organization. Don’t worry, by the time I’m done with him, 606 will be the best invention you ever let me make!”

“There are so many things to unpack here, son,” White Hat mutters, rubbing at his temples to calm himself. “Putting aside the  _ numerous  _ laws you would be breaking, you’re suggesting that we build a creature that’s only purpose is to  _ destroy. _ Have you  _ any  _ idea how  _ inappropriate  _ that is to do? What sort of  _ life  _ would this animal  _ live?” _

“Okay so, first of all, I already  _ said  _ it’ll double as a pet; it’s not  _ just  _ a killing machine,” Slug reassures, trying his best to mitigate the damage. “Second of all, I  _ never  _ said it would be sentient, for christ’s sake! People get guard dogs all the time, and this is no different! This one’ll just be more… _ beary,” _ He smirks to himself, amused by that mental image. “Just give me a  _ chance, _ boss! I promise you that I know what I’m doing! I… I  _ really  _ wanna make 606 a reality. He means a lot to me!”

Clementia grimaces, putting two and two together. “This isn’t just about security, is it, doll?” She doesn’t sound mad, just…  _ concerned. _ “There’s something more you’re not telling us.”

Slug visibly deflates, averting his eyes. “… Maybe it’s  _ not,” _ He admits, fiddling with his ruler as he speaks. “Maybe it’s a tribute, too… but it  _ is  _ for security as well, Clem. I know you guys don’t trust me, and I can’t really blame you for that, but if you just give me a  _ chance, _ I  _ promise  _ to make something  _ truly incredible. _ Just… _ please, _ guys; I  _ know  _ I can do it!”

White Hat sighs; deeply. “… If I let you do this, and at any point I think you’ve gone too far, you need to stop _ immediately,  _ understand?”

Slug nods eagerly. “Of course!” He promises, something in his eyes suggesting otherwise.

White Hat, again, feels conflicted. Sighing, he shakes his head. “Very well… you have my approval. Starting tomorrow morning, you may begin working on this  _ ‘6.0.6’  _ project of yours.”

“Wait, tomorrow morning?” Slug questions, puzzled by that decision. “Why the delay? I can easily get started within the hour, boss. Heck, it’s not even noon yet, so why wait?”

In a flash, White Hat stands up and grabs Slug by the forearm, pulling him close to himself. “Because you and I need to have a  _ discussion  _ about your  _ abhorrent  _ behavior first!” He declares, hugging his ward as white smoke envelopes the duo. Moments later, once the smoke has cleared, they’ve disappeared from sight.  
  
Clementia chuckles to herself, shaking her head. “He’s  _ so  _ in for it,” She tells herself, secretly feeling bad for Slug… even if the kid  _ does  _ deserve what’s coming to him. “That’s what ya get for cussing like a sailor and inviting strangers into the house… and he  _ still  _ says he isn’t a teenager!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, looks like Slug’s in trouble! TBH, it’s been awhile since Slug was “taken in hand”, so I guess it’s about time that happened. In other news, I’ve got some personal matters to attend to IRL, so I might not have another update ready for awhile; I’ve got some family visiting from out of state. Of course, them being over might cause me to write more than usual, but I’m not sure if it’ll be that way yet. In any case, have an awesome day, and thanks for reading! Please comment if you enjoyed this chapter, it would really make my day!


	12. actions have consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slug is a bit of an idiot, but what the fuck else is new? BTW, I finally made an 8Tracks playlist for Slug and White Hat! You can check it out at a link I’ll put in below! Have a good day!
> 
> Link to playlist: https://8tracks.com/kenningflugslys/prove-to-me-i-m-not-gonna-die-alone

“I would just like to say, from the bottom of my heart, that what I did was necessary.” Slug insists the  _ minute  _ he and White Hat appear in the demon’s office, his heartbeat speeding up with anticipation for the inevitable; he knows he’s about to get spanked, but he isn’t going down without a fight.

“I don’t believe it was,” White Hat responds all too easily, unable to resist the urge to scowl at his scrawny ward. “Young man, have you  _ any  _ idea what could have happened had any of those men decided to revolt and attack you? These walls are not as thin as I would like them to be, son… I could have slept through such a horrible event.”

“Nothing bad happened, though!” Slug argues, not at all seeing the point in White Hat’s worrying. “Besides, even if one of those idiots had tried anything, I could easily take ‘em on!” He really doesn’t get it, as no one got hurt- except of course for Jerry, but he deserved it!- so why is White Hat making such a big deal out of this?

White Hat sighs, shaking his head. “What if one of them had sneaked in a knife? Or a  _ gun?  _ You’re a smart boy, Dr. Slug, but I must say, what you did was  _ incredibly  _ stupid.”

Slug looks away, a bit of shame in his eyes; nothing hurts worse than being called stupid, as it was a common insult from his mother. “… Nothing would have happened,” He repeats, attempting to cross his arms, but White Hat still has a hold on him. He turns to scowling up at the superhero, trying to act tough. “I only hired them to prove a point, boss! I know you’re stubborn as a fucking bull, so I had to come up with  _ something  _ to make you see reason!”

White Hat breathes- in and out, in and out- before his shoulders sag, most of his anger leaving him. “I can see that you aren’t going to listen to me, son,” He sounds incredibly calm, considering the circumstances. “Right now, I think it’s best we get your punishment out of the way… perhaps after a little discipline, you’ll be more willing to listen to me.” Although he doesn’t say it, Slug can almost hear the _ ‘listen to your father’ _ in his tone.

Slug bristles automatically, going pale as he realizes that he’s about to be punished. He knew it was coming earlier, of course, but when it’s literally about to happen… he can’t help but tense up. “Like… right now?” Slug knows he sounds stupid asking such a silly question, but he’s inclined to delay this for as long as physically possible. “How about after dinner? Or before bed? I really oughta start on that project as soon as possible, sir.”

White Hat looks like he wants to smile as a result of Slug’s sputtering, but he somehow fights it down. “You’ll have plenty of time to work on your new project tomorrow… no, we need to get this out of the way first. I’d rather it be done and over with than have you wait for it,” The hero sets his hands on the delinquent’s shoulders, using his superior height and strength to turn Slug around, facing the boy towards his desk. “Pull down your trousers and bend over the desk, little one; this will be over very soon.”

Slug gulps, both as a result of his usual anxiousness towards spankings, and from a feeling of uncertainty. He’s  _ never  _ gotten punished this way before… there have been a few times where White Hat’s hand-spanked him while he’s standing up, or propped up a knee before turning him over it, but the villain has never been subjected to a punishment in this fashion. Slug swallows again, clasping and unclasping his hands as he hesitates. Is this about to get really bad? Although Slug’s been spanked by his mentor more times than he’d care to admit, he and White Hat have never actually had a full conversation about what he can and can’t be spanked with during his punishments. The demon has never used anything other than his hand, and the worst Slug’s ever gotten it is on his bare ass, but he can’t help but be a little intimidated when something new is going to be tossed into the equation. Is White Hat going to use his belt on him? Or something even worse?

When White Hat realizes that Slug isn’t moving, he pauses, noticing the criminal’s slight trembling; he’s used to Slug being nervous, but never to this degree. “Is something wrong, Sam?” The hero asks, tilting his head at his ward. “What is it? You can tell me.”

Slug fidgets in place, looking anywhere but at his boss or the desk. “Um, we’ve never, uh…” He feels out of place saying it like this, as if he’s a shy pornstar, a thought he wants to beat to death with a metal rod. “You’ve never… you’ve never had me bend over an object before.” He quietly admits, his voice sounding young, even to his own ears.  _ Oh god, please don’t age-slide, please don’t age-slide, please don’t- _

“Really now? Funny, I could’ve sworn I…” White Hat trails off, deep in thought. “In any case, what you are being punished for is something that’s unprecedented, Slug… I think you need something a little more serious to get the message across,” He begins leading Slug to his desk, a hand between the boy’s shoulder blades. “If it becomes too much, shout  _ ‘Blue’  _ and I’ll stop, but please don’t use it just to get out of your punishment.”

“A safeword? Seriously?” Slug huffs, rolling his eyes at his guardian’s decision. “What next? You want me to call you daddy, too?”

White Hat gives Slug a swift swat for that one. “Hush, I’m not in the mood for games,” He orders, not amused by Slug’s sense of humor. As his ward has proven himself unwilling to do it himself, the superhero unbuttons Slug’s jeans for him, tugging them down to rest at his ankles, before bending the delinquent over his desk. “Now, is there anything you have to say for yourself before we get started?”

Slug growls something lost to his guardian under his breath, frustration overriding his discomfort. “I’m right and you know it.” He says, not really caring if it might earn him extra swats; he doesn’t think he deserves this, and he’s going to make sure his boss knows it.

White Hat huffs at his ward’s fussing. “That was unwise, to say the least,” He warns, not hesitating to land a hard smack to Slug’s backside with his hand. “You need to understand that what you did was completely inappropriate, not to mention dangerous.” He continues spanking as he speaks, leaving no room for argument.

Even if there isn’t much room, Slug won’t be silenced so easily. “If I hadn’t-  _ ow- _ let them in-  _ fuck!- _ you never would have-  _ ow-  _ listened to me!” He yelps between smacks, still pissed off despite his position.

“That does not change the fact that allowing strangers into the mansion while Clementia and I were asleep was beyond irresponsible,” White Hat barks, laying on a few harder spanks to really drive the point home. “And how do you know I would have dismissed you? Had you only brought the issue to my attention, I would have happily heard you out, and would have agreed to let you help without hesitation!”

“Bullshit!” Slug shouts, trying to stand himself up, but a hand on the small of his back keeps him down. “Fuck- _ ow!- _ you, asshole! Hitting me isn’t going to solve your-  _ shit-  _ problems! I’m right and you fucking know it!”

“Do not cuss at me, young man!” White Hat snaps, yanking down Slug’s boxer briefs to bare his ass, which he spanks quite hard. “You know better than that!”

Slug yelps, biting the inside of his cheek to try and quiet himself down. He isn’t enjoying this new position  _ at all! _ Yes, he absolutely fucking  _ hates  _ being spanked over White Hat’s knee, but it’s better than being bent over something with no give or warmth to it. Despite himself, Slug squirms a bit in this uncomfortable position, trying to stay angry and stubborn, but it’s hard when all he wants to do is cry and apologize. The delinquent almost sighs, but stops himself, knowing that would be a surefire way to start crying. As much as he hates to admit it, he knows that what he did was wrong… still, he believes it was necessary. White Hat can pretend to be as level-headed and open to suggestion as he wants, but at his core the demon’s infuriatingly set in his ways, carrying the mindset that he knows better than everyone else. Slug wants to laugh at that; just because White Hat’s been alive for over a thousand years doesn’t mean he’s as wise as he thinks he is. If anything, the superhero is quite naive!

“Are you listening, son?” White Hat’s voice snaps Slug out of his daydreaming, bringing him back to the painful, uncomfortable present. “Well?”

Slug whimpers, eyes tearing up as the sting catches up with him. “I- _ ouch!-  _ yes, sir!” He yells out, hating how his voice squeaks a little.

To his ward’s surprise, White Hat pauses, patting Slug’s back a few times. “Easy, son… we’re almost done,” He promises, and judging by the ruffle Slug can hear behind him, the demon is rolling up his sleeves.  _ Oh no. _ “I’m going to give you twenty strokes with the ruler you stole; five for stealing from my office, five for your disrespectful behavior and words earlier, and ten for inviting dangerous individuals into our home.”

Slug goes pale, knees a bit shaky.  _ Twenty!? _ That’s way too many! It doesn’t sound like a lot, but considering his ass is already so sore… “H-How about ten? Please?” He hates how scared he sounds, but he can’t help but quiver at the thought of such excessive punishment.

White Hat softens, running his fingers through Slug’s shaggy hair. “No, Samuel… you need to understand how serious this was,” He straightens himself out, laying one hand on the small of Slug’s back to keep him in place, the other holding the long ruler he confiscated from his ward earlier. “Don’t worry, little one… this will be fast, I promise.”

Slug just nods, not trusting his voice as he covers the back of his neck with his arms, barricading himself to a degree. The next thing the scientist knows, there’s a swish in the air, before searing hot pain explodes across his backside. He shouts something even he can’t figure out, attempting to leap up, but White Hat’s hand keeps him in place, holding him down against the desk.  _ He hates this, he hates this, he hates this! _ Slug sobs, not at all caring if Clementia or White Hat hears him; he can’t take this level of pain without vocalizing it. Although it isn’t obvious in the moment, the superhero isn’t striking Slug all that hard, clearly holding back from using his full strength, but Slug can’t tell thanks to all the pain he’s in, only registering the biting sting of the ruler on his bottom. By the twelfth swing, where Slug’s backside is now lined with stripes, the villain loses all control. Out of seemingly nowhere, the criminal begins urinating, the stream hitting the desk and cascading onto the carpet below.

White Hat goes still. Slug goes still. Neither man speaks, the only sounds being White Hat’s somewhat labored breathing, Slug’s continued sobbing, and the wet splash of piss hitting a solid surface. It’s only once the stream has stopped, and a large stain has formed on the carpet in front of White Hat’s desk, that the two men snap out of it. Slowly, Slug blinks, beyond horrified by what he’s done. With nowhere to run to, as his guardian is still holding him in place, the villain breaks down and bawls even harder, trying to curl in on himself as much as possible, his embarrassment and shame outweighing the pain he’s still in. White Hat, in the meantime, blushes a slight cerulean, secondhand embarrassment making him empathize with the young criminal and absorb some of his pain. Tossing the ruler aside, the demon tries to comfort his ward to the best of his ability.

“Oh,  _ Sammy,”  _ White Hat uses Slug’s more childish nickname, all while pulling him into a standing position and hugging him to his chest. “Shh shh… it’s alright, my little darling. I’m so sorry that happened… I should have let you go potty before we started.”

“Don’t…” Slug struggles to even speak, overwhelmed and uncomfortable as he tries to wipe away his tears, but they won’t slow down at all. “Don’t talk like that… don’t want to be a little kid right now.” He explains, although he sounds dangerously close to sliding.

White Hat doesn’t answer him, but at least he stops with the babytalk. In fact, he stops talking completely, quick to pick Slug up and circle his desk- pointedly placing the mess out of Slug’s field of vision- and takes a seat in his armchair, cuddling the criminal on his lap. Usually, this would be incredibly degrading and embarrassing for Slug, but… well, he’ll let it go, just this one time. He sighs under his breath, burying his face in the tall superhero’s overcoat, feeling unbelievably small yet… cared for?  _ What?  _ The villain scrunches up his face in thought, wondering how on earth he could be anything but furious at White Hat, but it’s hard to stay angry and indignant when the person he’s supposed to be upset with is acting so damn affectionate. Much as Slug hates to admit it, being cuddled and looked after feels…  _ really  _ good. It feels  _ right. _ And that, among other things, has Slug blushing again, face red as a cherry.

“I’m, uh…” Slug averts his eyes, his crying finally beginning to slow, silent tears and the occasional sniffle being his only remaining symptoms. “I’m sorry about that, sir… that will never happen again, I promise.”

White Hat doesn’t seem the least bit upset, much to Slug’s shock, as he knows the hero prefers having things neat and tidy. “Not a problem at all, son. I know you didn’t mean to.”

Despite his guardian’s calm reaction, Slug remains uncomfortable. “I can… I can clean it up for you, sir… no need to let the stain set in.” He offers, wanting to make up for his mistake.

To the villain’s shock, White Hat hugs him a little tighter. “I don’t care about a silly little stain, Sam… I’d rather make sure that you’re okay,” He sets his hands on the boy’s shoulders, leaning him back a little to lock eyes with Slug. He doesn’t soul gaze or anything, but he makes sure his ward can see how much he cares for him in his irises. “I love you, Samuel… please know that I only spanked you so that you would understand that what you did was unbelievably dangerous,” He hugs Slug close again, sounding on the cusp of crying himself. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you, Sam… please, be more careful, my darling.”

Slug swallows, not sure what to say to that. “…  _ Okay,”  _ He manages, voice croaking. “I’m… I’m  _ really  _ sorry, boss. I just… I don’t want to lose this,” He hesitates, glancing between White Hat and his hands, and when he’s not interrupted, he continues on, encouraged by the lack of reprimanding. “You and Clemmy… I’ve never had a family before, not really. I mean, I’ve got my little brother, but… I had to leave him on his own. I know I’m toxic, I would’ve just made things so much harder on him, and he’s such a good kid, I know he’s better off on his own! You must think I’m such a jerk, abandoning my brother, but… Miss Lucy was right; I attract trouble.”

“You don’t attract trouble,” White Hat tries to argue, not at all liking how Slug is treating himself. “You may be a tad mischievous, but you’re not a bad person, Slug.”

Slug shakes his head, something dead and unbelievably exhausted in his eyes. “I didn’t say I try to make things harder, boss… it just happens, even when I’m trying to be good,” He averts his gaze, staring at the wall. “Doesn’t matter how hard I try; something always goes wrong… the one common theme is that I’m there, and the source of the problem is always pissed at me, willing to hurt everyone I care about to make me pay,” He whimpers, beginning to cry again. “P-Promise me… promise me you’re gonna take this seriously, boss. I know it’s easy to write me off as a whiny, stupid, erratic-” He begins to ramble, but White Hat’s hand on the back of his neck cuts him off, grounding him in the present. “… I’m sorry,” Slug murmurs, voice weak. “Please, White Hat… don’t just write this off as nothing. We’re in real danger, starting this organization, and a lot of people are going to want us all dead… we need to be prepared for war, because that’s exactly what’s coming.”

White Hat stews on that for a bit, resting his chin very gently on the top of Slug’s head, making an effort to heat up his body to warm the little delinquent. “While I do not like dwelling on violence and opposition… I can’t pretend that everything will be perfectly fine either,” He holds both of Slug’s hands, running his thumbs over the boy’s knuckles, internally wincing at how bony his ward is. “I’m sorry that you’ve been stressed about this for so long, but rest assured that I will do everything in my power to ease your worries… I know you’re scared, but I will never let any harm come to you or anyone else you care about,” The demon sighs, feeling a tad queasy. “I sincerely hope your creation works, son… for everyone’s sake.”

“It will… I promise,” Slug let’s out a mighty yawn as he says this, blushing once he’s done. “Excuse me.” He says, embarrassed.

White Hat chuckles. “So adorable,” He comments, giving Slug a light kiss on the cheek. “Let’s get you dressed and put to bed… you must be  _ exhausted.” _

Slug huffs, rolling his eyes. “I’m not  _ that  _ tired,” He mutters, even if he is. After a pause, he tentatively looks up at the hero again, scared to even bring this up… but he knows that he needs to. “Um, boss?” Once he has White Hat’s eyes on him again, he continues to speak. “I know I probably don’t have a lot of say in it, but… can we  _ not  _ do punishments over the desk? I’m sorry, it’s just… it’s so much worse, and it just makes me feel trapped.” He feels so stupid bringing it up, certain that his mentor will scold him for the request.

To the villain’s surprise, White Hat seems to sigh with relief. “Don’t worry, son… we are  _ never  _ doing it like that again,” He promises, petting Slug’s hair lovingly. “I’m sorry that I even tried it, son… I thought I needed to make a bigger impression on you, but instead I nearly sent you into a panic attack. I promise to never spank you over the desk again… my knee works just fine.” He gives a halfhearted laugh, his heart not really in it, still ashamed after what happened.

Slug, internally, is tempted to cuss his boss out for what he did, but he restrains himself, seeing the legitimate guilt and sadness in the demon’s eyes. “Um… it’s alright, sir… I forgive you,” He assures, wanting to make that guiltiness go away. “Can I, uh, get up now?”

White Hat nods, allowing the young man to stand up, looking away when Slug’s private parts are at eye level. “S-Sorry,” He says, worried he’s making his ward uncomfortable. “Do you need any help getting cleaned up, or-”

“-I’m fine,” Slug promises, wincing at the thought of being bathed again, even if deep down he really,  _ really  _ wants White Hat to give him another bath. “I’m just… gonna get outta your hair.” He pulls up his pants, hating the way they chafe, as they ended up getting soaked when he pissed himself. They also irritate his already burning backside, reigniting the fire and causing him to tear up a little.

White Hat stands up as well, laying a hand on Slug’s shoulder. “You’re no trouble, son… please, don’t feel guilty for having an accident; accidents happen.”

Slug stiffens at the mention of accidents, remembering his childhood trauma concerning that word. “Y-Yeah, again, I’m sorry about that, boss,” He mutters, feeling awkward. Why oh why did White Hat have to say that word!? “Really, I can take care of it, and then I’ll get started on my project!”

Without a word, White Hat just snaps his fingers, and the urine goes dry, leaving only a slightly darkened patch on the carpet where it was before. “All cleaned up,” He says almost cheerfully, trying to dispel Slug’s anxiety. He pats the villain’s back, smiling at him. “Go get some rest, son… you can start on that project tomorrow after breakfast.”

Slug deflates, having wanted to get started sooner, but… he yawns again, the exhaustion hitting him a second time. Okay, maybe the cape has a point. “Alright, boss… goodnight.” He waves before heading out the door, trying not to limp, but it’s hard not to when his bottom hurts so much!

White Hat gives a worried frown, clearly concerned. “Goodnight, sweetheart… I love you.” He calls out, but he gets no response, Slug closing the door behind him before escaping to his bedroom to shower and sleep. Hopefully tomorrow morning, Slug will feel a lot less sore, and even less close to age-sliding.

…

For the next few days, Slug avoids White Hat like the plague, not willing to look the superhero in the eyes after his accident. To his thankfulness, the demon doesn’t throw a fit over it, perfectly fine with letting the young criminal sneak about the manor however he sees fit. However, Slug doesn’t actually do that much sneaking, too entrenched in his latest project to leave his laboratory very often. He of course makes occasional appearances upstairs- can’t have his roommates coming downstairs to make sure he’s still alive- but for the most part, Slug stays in the basement, working away on his experiment. He actually has most of the written work done, as he’s been working on the blueprints for 6.0.6 for a little over a year and a half, so it’s only a matter of writing everything down and keeping a clean record of everything he does before getting started on the physical experimentation.

It’s while Slug is bent over his workbench, headphones on and blasting music, that White Hat comes downstairs to talk to him for the first time in a little over a week. Of course, Slug doesn’t notice him at first, too enamored by his work, but he certainly notices the demon when his shoulder is unexpectedly tapped. “What the fuck!?” The villain shouts, shooting to his feet in an instant. He swings around, glaring daggers at his mentor as he pulls off his headphones. “What the  _ hell,  _ boss!? Freaking knock next time!”

“I did.  _ Twice,” _ White Hat explains, not at all impressed with Slug’s shouting. “It’s not my fault you were listening to music… turn that racket down before you go deaf,” He scowls at the criminal’s headphones, able to hear the music without even wearing them. “Good god, it’s as if you’re trying to drown out a war with those things.”

Slug rolls his eyes at White Hat’s analogy. “It helps me focus,” He states, but nonetheless pauses his music, not wanting to annoy the hero anymore than he already has. “What’s going on, boss? Something wrong? I’m still trying to work on my project right now, and I can’t afford to waste too much time on anything else.”

White Hat pulls a face, clearly concerned. “You have time, son, don’t worry… there are no deadlines here,” He pauses, and it’s only now that Slug notices that the superhero brought a plastic bag with him, the contents of which are hidden from sight, held like a gun in his right hand by his side. “Now then, I… I know you’re going to give me a hard time about this, but I think it’s necessary. As you’ve shown me, sometimes we must do and say unpleasant things in order to plead our case, however, I believe my way of doing so will be less…  _ problematic.” _ Without another word, White Hat reaches into the bag and pulls out… oh  _ fuck  _ no.

Slug shivers, horrified by the contents of the bag, as White Hat has pulled out a package of what can only be described as pull-ups, but for adults. How or where he found them, Slug has no clue, and at this point he’s too afraid to ask. Right now, he busies himself with wondering why the fuck his boss thinks it’s even  _ remotely  _ okay to bring him these things. On one hand, he wants to screech and kick and throw an absolute  _ fit  _ to combat this turn of events, but on the other… well, he can’t really argue with White Hat, as although he doubts the demon knows it, Slug’s been secretly wetting the bed almost every night since the convention. In fact, that’s one of the many reasons he was avoiding White Hat after the con, but as the hero never alluded to knowing during his ward’s presentation, Slug has let his walls down a tad, no longer being as careful as he should about disposing of his wet laundry… did White Hat find his dirty sheets?

The delinquent shakes his head, trying to dispel the thought from his mind, but it’s impossible. Indeed, the superhero probably found out by discovering Slug’s sheets in the washing machine… that, or he’s taking the one accident he witnessed way too seriously, but in a painfully accurate way. Either way, Slug feels sick to his stomach, not liking the idea of wearing any sort of childish protection outside of a younger headspace. Hell, he doesn’t even like wearing diapers  _ in  _ his little headspace, White Hat’s round of babysitting him being his only experience with them, as he’s always denied himself such a thing, despite the fact that he desperately needs to wear protection. Again, Slug shivers, uncomfortable with so many elements of his life, not the least of which being his body’s neediness and lack of cooperation. Were it not for Slug’s near incontinence, he’d tell White Hat to go fuck himself, but as help is obviously needed… fuck this, he doesn’t care; he chooses to be difficult.

“I’m not doing it,” Despite needing help, Slug remains uncooperative, crossing his arms in a subtle attempt to hold his ground and show his resistance. “It’s not as serious as you think, boss… come on, be reasonable about this!”

“You can deny it all you’d like, but we both know that isn’t true, my little one,” White Hat doesn’t act angry towards Slug at all, something that makes the villain quite upset, preferring his anger to be copied rather than outright ignored; it makes him feel like a stupid little kid, something he’d like to avoid at all costs. “I’ve seen your dirty sheets, son… it’s getting worse, isn’t it?” He sounds so sympathetic to Slug, something that surprises the delinquent.

Slug averts his gaze, face blushing light red. “… It’s not that bad,” He murmurs, hating how childish he sounds. “I can control it better during the day anyways.”

“I saw you sneaking cleaning supplies down here last night; we both know you weren’t tidying up, Sam,” White Hat softens a fraction, mindful of how humiliating this is for his ward. “I know you don’t like it, and you must find it quite embarrassing, but many humans deal with some form of incontinence in their lives… there’s no shame in wearing protection, son.”

“There is when I’m twenty years old!” Slug argues, tempted to throw his arms in the air, but he knows that would just make him look silly. “Only babies and the elderly need diapers, and I’m neither of those things! Jesus Christ, White Hat, you can’t expect me to go along with this bullcrap! I’m not doing it, and that’s final.”

“Are you saying you’re not going to wear them willingly?” White Hat asks, sounding curious yet firm. “How about this; I find out you’ve wet yourself again and that you weren’t wearing protection, I’ll spank you on the spot.”

Slug’s eyes widen in horror. “You wouldn’t!” He shouts, glaring daggers at the tall demon. “It would be an accident!”

The delinquent’s half expecting White Hat to say there’s no such thing as accidents, as that would be an easy way to dismiss Slug without trying. Instead, the superhero doesn’t bat an eye. “It would indeed be an accident, but you can prevent them from being as messy by wearing padding. I know it’s embarrassing, son, but it’s necessary! I promise to not tell Clementia… besides, wouldn’t wearing something discrete be preferable to wetting yourself in front of her. We both know it’s only a matter of time before that happens, but wearing one of these would prevent her from realizing you wet yourself at all.”

Slug pales, the realization hitting him like a speeding train. Indeed, if his incontinence doesn’t cut it out sometime soon, he’s bound to piss himself in front of Clementia at some point. Hell, if it gets any worse, he’ll probably end up having an accident in front of a client, and both his and the organization’s reputation would never recover from such a blow! The delinquent fidgets in place, unbelievably humiliated by the whole ordeal, but it’s not like he has many options. Slug spares the package of pull-ups a somewhat frightened look, not sure how such a bulky looking garment could be even  _ remotely  _ discrete, as just looking at them makes him want to cross his legs. Hesitantly, Slug takes the pull-ups from his boss, turning the box in his hands to look at the side, inspecting the picture. To the villain’s surprise, it doesn’t look nearly as poofy or big as he expected, appearing about as noticeable as someone wearing three or four pairs of underwear, which is to say not noticeable at all, at least to the untrained eye.

After a moment, White Hat gives Slug a hesitant smile. “Well? Are you going to put one on?” He asks, head tilted with curiosity.

All at once, Slug goes as red as his turtleneck. “Not in front of you!” He yells, hating how his voice cracks, something that just makes him blush even redder.

White Hat resists the urge to openly laugh or chuckle, something his ward secretly appreciates, even if it’s obvious that the demon almost did. “Easy, my darling… but you  _ are  _ going to wear it, yes? I’d rather not have to spank you so soon after your last spanking.”

Almost on instinct, Slug rubs his backside with one hand, remembering how much it ached after his last spanking… the pain’s all gone now, but he won’t soon forget the lesson his boss taught him. “Y-Yeah… agreed,” He murmurs, eyes on the box in his hands. “… Do you  _ really  _ think these’ll hold in an accident?” He asks almost tentatively, not trusting these things to work.

White Hat smiles affectionately, ruffling Slug’s mop of hair. “I researched this brand extensively, and all reviewers agree that these are the best quality on the market!” He takes the box from Slug, letting out a grunt as his fingers shapeshift into claws. Upon seeing his ward’s look of confusion, the demon chuckles, blushing a little himself, a healthy shade of baby blue adorning his cheeks. “My apologizes, son… shapeshifting isn’t really my specialty.” He explains, tearing open the box a moment later.

Slug reaches into the box, pulling out one of the pull-ups, but he clams up when he sees that the pull-up is adorned with baby blue pawprints. “… Care to explain what the fuck I’m looking at right now, boss,” Slug requests, hating how warm his face has grown. “I thought these things were supposed to be discrete!”

“I, um,” White Hat looks the box over again, throat going dry when he realizes, all at once, that the company he ordered these from makes pull-ups specifically for adult babies. “Oh… my apologizes, son… I thought these weren’t, um.” He trails off, humiliated.

Slug’s tempted to laugh, but he’s too embarrassed to. “Fuck it, it’s not like anyone but me will see ‘em,” He mutters, shaking his head at all this nonsense. After a pregnant pause, he locks eyes with White Hat again-  _ “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you, my sweet boy.”- _ trying his best to dispel the awkwardness. “Um… thanks, I guess. For giving a shit,” Slug gives the pull-up in his hands a thoughtful look, still feeling a bit stupid, but he supposes it’s better than his boss storming downstairs and spanking him for something he can’t control. “I’ll wear them, I guess… hopefully I won’t embarrass the fuck out of you by wetting myelf in front of a client, right? You’d have to kill me over that… otherwise the organization would tank.”

White Hat doesn’t take well to the joke, quick to grab Slug by the shoulders, keeping him in place. “I’d trade this organization, and everything I’ve ever owned, for you in a heartbeat,” He’s dead serious, much to the criminal’s shock, his gaze unwavering. “I mean it, Samuel… you mean more to me than anyone or anything else on this earth. I love you so,  _ so  _ much, son.”

Slug feels as though the world is in slow motion, off-kilter after hearing such a heartfelt admission. He’s heard White Hat say he loves him a few times now, ever since that first time he age-slid, but it’s still pretty jarring to hear again. As a child, Slug heard such declarations of love sparingly. He and Flug would tell each other that they loved the other when they could, as in whenever their parents weren’t around, but conflicting schedules and a general fear of a possible scolding made those moments rare and hard to come by. Lewis told Slug he loved him a few times, but again, that wasn’t very often, as the delinquent’s parents would have most certainly bristled if they had heard such a thing come out of the butler’s mouth. Slug’s parents almost  _ never  _ said they loved Slug, much less both of their children, as that was  _ ‘unseemly’ _ and  _ ‘far too humiliating’ _ to be said aloud, leaving both the criminal and his younger brother deprived of even the bare minimum of affection.

Shaking his head, Slug snaps out of it, cautiously locking eyes with White Hat again. “Um…” He trails off, tempted to stay quiet, but those eyes… he can see how much his boss is hurting, and in all honesty, that somehow hurts worse than any spanking the hero could inflict on him. “I… I love you too, boss. I’m sorry if, um… I’m sorry I don’t-  _ can’t- _ say it more… it’s just hard to say sometimes, ya know?”

White Hat doesn’t take any offense to this, on the contrary, he  _ beams  _ upon hearing Slug say he loves him, eyes sparkling with unshed tears. He pulls the villain into a hug, warm and tight, adoring Slug more than will ever be understood by the young criminal. “Thank you, son… I love you so very much. I’m so happy to have you in my life, and I’m honored to be apart of your’s.”

Again, such loving phrases and words have Slug blushing, close to crying, but he bites his lower lip to keep from sobbing like a child. “I really, um… I really oughta change, before I end up, ya know, having another accident.” Deep down, he’d rather White Hat stay and possibly even help him put the garment on, but Slug’s pride is still too great to allow for such a thing.

“Of course, of course,” White Hat let’s go, his smile somber yet still holding affection for the delinquent he’s taken in. “I’ll leave you to your work… see you at dinner, alright? No need to have you skipping meals.” He quickly leaves the boy be, allowing Slug his privacy.

With the demon gone, Slug is quick to lock the door behind him, throwing off his pants and underwear now that he’s alone. He quickly pulls on the protection, unable to resist the urge to look at himself in a nearby mirror, which unfortunately has him blushing again. It’s not nearly as bulky as the diapers White Hat put him in during his last session of age-sliding, and for that Slug’s grateful, but it’s still adorned with that childish pattern. Slug’s half tempted to find a sharpie and scribble all over the pawprints, but that would be too much of a hassle, and he’d rather put that time towards working on his project. Sighing, Slug cracks his knuckles, taking a seat back in his chair. He picks up where he left off, continuing to scribble down notes and ideas into his notebook, putting back on his headphones to blast his music again, getting lost in the rhythmic feeling of writing and the sound of his favorite songs playing.

He won’t realize, until he gets called for dinner, that he forgot to put his pants back on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, y’all! Kept getting stumped by the first scene, as well as just by the fic itself. Don’t worry, I still love it, I’m just having a hard time juggling my writing and life, ya know? If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider commenting! It would really make my day! Have a good one, y’all!


	13. there's a reason for everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know at least one of my readers was upset with White Hat’s actions in the last chapter, and I’m sorry for that. Rest assured, he’s regretting his actions in this chapter. I just thought it would be interesting to parallel Black Hat’s first time spanking Flug as that “oh shit I went too far this time” moment, but it happens at a very different time for White Hat… we’ll see how this plays out. Again, sorry if what happened in the last chapter made anyone upset!

**“Blackie!”**

This isn’t supposed to be happening, this isn’t supposed to be happening. White feels his heartbeat slow, unable to do anything but watch as Black is thrown headfirst into a stone wall, his head cracking open on impact, dark green blood gushing out of the gash in his skull. Horrified, White turns and gapes at Black’s attacker, terrified down to his bones. Everything was supposed to be fine… they found a new place to live- a cave in the mountains, away from all the noise- but to White’s surprise, they were found. It doesn’t matter how hard they try to stay out of sight, they always get found eventually, and this time is no different. Except… except there wasn’t any  _ warning  _ this time, giving them no time to prepare before they were attacked in the night. Still shaking, White watches as the strange woman that’s found them begins walking towards him and his brother, causing White to instinctively back away, until he’s the only thing standing between the witch and his twin.

“Easy, my little demon,” The witch orders, her tone motherly and quiet, as if she’s trying to calm a distrustful, injured animal. “There is no need to panic… I am here to bring you home.”

“Miserable  _ wench,”  _ Black garbles out, mouth so full of blood that it makes him hard to understand, but centuries of staying side by side with the darker demon has trained White to understand him very well, no matter the circumstances. “Fine way of showing you care!” He visibly struggles to function, shivering as he huddles in on himself, the pain he’s in overwhelming. “What did you  _ do  _ to me, you  _ hag!?” _

“There’s no need for that unsavory language, little one; no pet of  _ mine  _ shall behave in such a manner,” The witch says, the bottom of her face the only part of her that’s visible due to a large, dark grey cloak covering most of her body, her smile dangerous and unkind. “You’ve no room to throw a fit… surrender, and allow me to do with you as I wish. And for your information, I used a spell that weakens the bodies of immortal creatures such as yourself, as I’m well aware of how…  _ uppity  _ you are,” She chuckles at her own word choice, amused by Black’s behavior, it seems. “Now come along, my little darlings… I’ve much  _ fun  _ in store for you.”

“Wh-What do you  _ want  _ with us!?” White asks, voice jittery with fear. He does his best to stand tall and act as a shield for his twin, but his shaky knees give away his uncertainty.

“What do  _ I  _ want?” The witch repeats the question aloud, tilting her head at White, as if she’s examining the paler demon. “Why, I want to own the two little demons that have been causing such mischief for all of time… you two are quite famous, you know. At least in the community I’m involved in,” She steps a little closer, raising a hand at White. “Now come with me, my darlings, or I will be forced to immobilize you both, and I would hate to start our relationship on the wrong foot,” She suddenly chuckles, smirking at Black. “Well, at least, I’d like at least  _ one  _ of you to not hate me… I’m afraid my little kitten here is likely regretting bringing me here, isn’t he?”

“What?” White turns around a little, meeting Black’s eyes from over his shoulder. “Blackie, what is she  _ talking  _ about?”

“Oh? He hasn’t told you?” The witch doesn’t give Black the luxury of speaking for himself, too sadistic and unkind to allow him any mercy. “Why, I’m his magic teacher, my darling… such a bright student, but such a rebelliousness to him, too… I’m so glad he brought me here, otherwise I would have just taken the one, and who am I to separate such sweet brothers?”

“Black, is this true? Do you  _ really  _ know her?” White doesn’t want to believe it’s true- doesn’t want to believe Black would do something this  _ stupid- _ but he knows it’s not out of the realm of possibility, especially for someone like Black.

“Enough talk; we should go, before the sun rises,” The witch steps forward again, her eyes glowing a bright red from beneath her cloak. When White only backs up further, she sighs, shaking her head. “Please, my pet, do not throw a fit over this… but very well, I can tell you are not going to listen to me. Such a shame, too; I was hoping you would be easier to control,” Her hands glow red as well, and White can just make out Black’s body beginning to glow the same color out of the corner of his eye. “Perhaps you will be more obedient after I hurt your dear brother? Such wretched things, and yet you obviously care very deeply for each other… very useful indeed; I can’t  _ wait  _ to play with you boys!”

**“Ack!”** Black chokes out, his body shuddering in an unnatural manner, as if his very existence is being compromised by the magic surrounding him.  **“Wh-White!** **_Kill_ ** _**h-”** _ He can’t finish the sentence, coughing up ivy colored blood onto the cavern floor.

All at once, something in White _ snaps, _ the world fading to be black and white. He hyperventilates, all too aware of what’s about to happen, so he just closes his eyes as the fluttering of feathered wings fills the air, begging an unnamed higher power to spare him from this trauma. Several minutes of silence pass, but White knows it’s not  _ really  _ silent, not out in the real world, but he’s safe for now in this quiet place, his body on autopilot as it tends to the threat outside. When White finally  _ does  _ open his eyes, he regrets it immediately, unable to keep from wincing when he sees the end results of his meltdown. There on the floor, still relatively close to the entrance of the cave, is the witch, the worst of the carnage thankfully covered by her cloak, which is splattered with ruby red blood and chunks of human flesh. Gulping, White looks away from the corpse, trying to find Black among the mess.

To the paler demon’s eternal gratitude, Black is relatively unharmed, save of course for his cracked ribs from the witch’s constriction spell, the darker demon still coughing up a bit of flem and blood. “Well…  _ that  _ was certainly something,” Black says, leaning himself against a wall while still sitting down, his expression satisfied despite the pain he’s in. “Well done, dear brother!”

“Well done!?  _ That’s  _ what you have to say about this… this…” White flails his arms in frustration, thoroughly unhappy with everything that happened. “This  _ intrusion!?  _ Answer me right now, brother, and it had best be truthful; was anything she said even  _ remotely  _ true?”

Black huffs, rolling his eyes at White, but at least there’s  _ some  _ regret in his eyes. “Um… sí?” He responds, shrugging with an uneasy smile, acutely aware of how furious his twin is. “She is indeed my teacher… well,  _ was,” _ He scowls at the corpse, his disgust obvious. “Such a shame… was really hoping she could teach me more. Oh well, tis human greed that got her killed… and here I was honestly believing that she wanted to help us.”

“A sha-” White just  _ gapes  _ at his brother, incapable of understanding his reasoning. “I, you,  _ I… _ good grief and alas, dear brother, I  _ cannot  _ believe you! I am well aware that you are quite impulsive, but this is beyond even  _ my  _ expectations,” He begins pacing in front of Black, his anger keeping him from staying still for very long. “How could you be so impossibly  _ stupid!?  _ You and I both know magic users are dangerous, and yet you… and yet you sought out guidance from one! What were you hoping to  _ gain, _ exactly?  _ Power?” _

Black sneers at White, standing up on shaky legs, his body struggling to fight off the witch’s curse; it’s something he’ll get better at, once he’s older, but for now he’s still young and easily damaged by such power. “You want to know  _ why  _ I went to her for training, mi hermano?” Black leans into White’s personal space, his breathing labored both by irritation and fatigue. “Because you are  _ weak!” _ He snaps, voice full of venom, which isn’t an inaccurate statement, considering what he is. “You refuse to get any stronger, mi hermano! I am the _ only one _ fighting for us, and I needed to learn more techniques,” He tries to pace as well, only to falter, but he manages to keep his balance when he stands still. “Do you  _ truly  _ believe I am strong enough to fight off every threat that enters our territory? That we are as undying as we wish to be? I am not a god, hermano, and we are easily harmed by those who have done their research on us. Although she is dead now, I learned much from my teacher… and I shall teach you in turn, in order to protect you.”

White shoves Black outright, causing the darker demon to stumble and land on his ass, forced to look up in order to meet White’s fury filled eyes. “You’re a  _ fool,  _ Black,” White bites out, glaring wholeheartedly at his twin. “We don’t  _ need  _ power! We don’t need  _ magic!  _ We have each other, and whether you like it or not, that can be enough for us. I understand your wanting us to be stronger, but we don’t need to be, Black… _ please,  _ stop being reckless and think for once in your bloody life!”

“I  _ do  _ think!” Black shouts, standing up as the spell loosens it’s grip, finally giving him the freedom to go toe to toe with his brother. “And I  _ think  _ you’re an  _ imbecile!  _ We have ran for centuries, mi hermano, and it has gotten us  _ nowhere!  _ The longer we run, the smarter our attackers become, and the smarter they become, the more likely we are to run out of places to hide! We  _ will  _ die by their hands, mi querido hermano, and it will be because of your incompetence and unwillingness to fight!”

White breathes heavily a few times, before coming back with a scowl so harsh that even Black backs up a step, unnerved by the paler demon’s uncharacteristic aggression. “I’m _very_ tired, brother,” White says, sounding far calmer than he truly is. “And I would like to go to bed… please, do me a favor and _don’t_ invite anymore monsters into our home while I’m resting. _Again,”_ He turns, making for the back of the cavern, but when he notices Black coming towards him, he swings around, the loose flutter of wings reminding his twin that he’s not as docile as one might imagine. **_“Enough!_** **Shut up and** ** _go!_** **To!** ** _Bed!”_**

Black lowers himself a little, mindful of the very real danger he’s in. “… Okay,” He whispers, quiet and frightened.  _ “Okay, _ hermano… as you wish.” Almost shyly, the darker demon curls up on the cavern floor, using his teacher's old cloak as a blanket.

White falters, off-put by Black’s sudden skittishness, but… well, he got the results he wanted; Black’s leaving him alone. Even if he got what he wanted, White can’t help but feel like garbage, hating to see such fearfulness from someone he loves so dearly. Deep down, he wants to say goodnight- to tell Black he loves him, before he eventually loses him, because at this rate, that’s  _ exactly  _ what’s going to someday happen- but he doesn’t, too tonguetied and awkward. Sighing under his breath, White leaves Black where he is, returning to their nests at the back of the cavern, which are two large piles of old clothes, blankets, and pillows that they’ve gathered over the last few years. White crawls into his, which are made up of all shades of blue and white, covering himself quickly with a blue quilt. He pauses, staring at Black’s nest, but the darker demon never comes back to his own bed, preferring to stay away from his twin until tomorrow morning. With a quiet sob, White closes his eyes, falling into a restless sleep.

The next morning, they won’t talk about it. They’ll gather their things, burn the corpse of the witch, and head elsewhere, as they always have. They won’t talk about it, and that will destroy them someday.

…

When Dr. Slug comes up for dinner, White Hat refuses to look up at his ward, making a point out of focusing on cooking dinner. The hero hates the idea of not giving the delinquent any of his attention, and risks increasing the chance that Slug will become irritated with him because of it, but White Hat can’t bring himself to look his son in the eyes, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Now, it should be noted that he’s not uncomfortable with Slug needing to wear bladder protection- if anything he finds it a tad cute, not that he’d ever say that out loud- but what he  _ is  _ uncomfortable with is his own emotions. Ever since Slug admitted to letting dangerous criminals into the house, and after White Hat punished him severely for his crimes, the superhero has felt  _ very  _ guilty. He knows that he needed to punish the delinquent for what he did- to let him get away with such a thing would have been inappropriate- but he thinks he should have handled it better, especially when he decided to try something new, and with an implement no less!

White Hat shivers at the memory, chest tight with discomfort as he remembers the way Slug bawled his eyes out, how he was in so much pain that he pissed himself, which only made things worse for him emotionally. All at once, White Hat is struck with the urge to hug Slug as tight as he can, if only to reassure his ward that he adores him, but he knows that such unprompted affection would likely infuriate the villain to no end. Sighing, White Hat shakes his head, his self hatred eating away at his very soul. Some sad, incredibly guilty part of him considers allowing Slug to leave this place- after all, the boy probably hates him beyond belief after what happened, even if he hasn’t said so- but as he knows that Slug has nowhere to go, he won’t. In any case, White Hat forces himself to wear a fake smile, wishing to pretend that nothing is wrong and never has been.

Moments later, Clementia finally arrives for dinner, letting out a pleased hum after smelling the air. “Oooooo! Something smells wonderful!” She comments, quick to take a seat at the kitchen table. She smiles at Slug, happy to see the scientist is here. “Well, look who decided to come crawling out of his dungeon! How’re you, goblin boy?”

Slug rolls his eyes, unimpressed with the joke. “Whatever, Clem.” He mutters, continuing to offhandedly scribble on the notepad he brought upstairs with him.

Not letting the lack of a reaction get her down, Clementia skips the teasing to genuinely check in with her roommate. “How’s Stitch going? You got anything other than notes done?”

“If you actually try naming my creation Stitch, I’ll pour gasoline into your shampoo,” Slug threatens, but he’s smirking nonetheless. “And for your information, 6.0.6 is coming along nicely… I still need to go out and get some DNA samples before I can get started,” He looks over his notes, humming to himself. “I’ll want bear DNA, obviously, as well as the DNA of a few other apex predators… tiger DNA, shark DNA, gorilla DNA…” He pauses, subtly eyeing White Hat, something the hero can tell he’s doing even with his back turned. “Say, boss… you want my creation to be a force of  _ good,  _ right? A real life care bear?”

White Hat feels uneasy, not liking where this is going.  _ “Yes… _ I  _ do  _ indeed want 6.0.6 to be kindhearted,” He looks at Slug for the first time in a few hours, hoping to god that the young criminal can’t see how uneasy his mentor is. “Why do you ask, darling?”

Slug huffs at the nickname, but doesn’t let it stop him. “Well… you’re probably the strongest force of good on this earth, right? If Black Hat is pure evil, than you’re pure good… some of your DNA would probably-”

“-Absolutely  _ not,” _ White Hat doesn’t let Slug keep going, not willing to hear whatever ridiculous excuses his son may have for him. “I will  _ not  _ allow you to experiment on my DNA, young man… putting aside the ethical dilemmas such a thing would cause, my twin and I are not purely good or bad… we are simply  _ alive, _ and that is all we have managed to figure out, at least in the time that we were friends,” White Hat continues stirring the pot of macaroni as he speaks, trying to drive the message home. “I’m very sorry, Samuel, but I  _ can’t  _ let you use my DNA in such a way… you will have to find another source,” He looks away, deep in thought, and doesn’t even realize he’s still talking until it’s too late. “Besides, my blood would probably corrupt the poor thing… no need to bring that creature into this world doomed from the beginning.”

There’s a long period of silence, the other mansion residents incapable of saying anything. Although he’s no longer looking at his companions, White Hat can hear the nearly soundless movements they’re making, Slug and Clementia looking at each other and gesturing for the other to say something, but neither one of them knows what to say. That’s just fine, as White Hat isn’t looking for any sort of reassurance. If anything, he half hopes one of them will light into him for being so horrible, but he knows they would never do such a thing… well, Slug might, but he’s probably too scared to, as would be expected after his last encounter with his mentor when the demon was angry. That thought, among others, nearly makes White Hat cry, but he bites his tongue, trying to force away the tears as they come. Unfortunately a few come loose, sliding down his face and dripping onto his suit jacket, leaving little dark blue speckles behind. The demon wipes at his eyes, hating himself for such a reaction.

Once the macaroni and cheese is done, White Hat picks up the pot and turns around, wearing the biggest grin he can in order to put his companions at ease, but judging by their expressions, this has the opposite effect. Nonetheless, White Hat doesn’t get rid of it, too stubborn. He sets the pot down in the middle of the table, giving his roommates an expectant look. “Well? Dig in, my friends!” He suggests, voice purposefully cheerful.

There’s another moment of hesitation, before Clementia serves herself a portion. White Hat sits down at the head of the table, serving himself food next, only to pause when he sees Slug staring at his plate, not making a move to get himself any food. “Sweetheart? Are you alright?” White Hat asks, concerned for his ward’s wellbeing. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Slug grimaces, glancing between White Hat, Clementia, and the pot of macaroni. To everyone’s surprise, the delinquent doesn’t stay bottled up this time around, nor does he blow his top when he speaks; if anything, he seems very skittish. “I… I don’t like seeing you like this,” He finally admits, not willing to look his guardian in the eyes. “What’s eating you, boss?”

White Hat hesitates, locking eyes with Clementia, who gives him an encouraging nod-  _ for once in your life, please for the love of god communicate with the people you care about- _ giving him the strength to answer the criminal. “Well, Samuel… I feel very guilty for how hard I spanked you for what you did the other week. I knew I had to discipline you, however, I know now that I went too far, and for that I’m very sorry; I never should have bent you over my desk. I wanted to make sure you understood that what you did was wrong, but instead I hurt you very badly.”

Clementia’s eyes widen a fraction, but she makes a point of continuing to silently eat her food, not at all interested in entering this discussion. Slug, in the meantime, also appears uncomfortable, but he won’t leave his boss hanging. “It’s… yeah, it fucking hurt like hell, but I deserved it, ya know?”

“But you  _ didn’t  _ deserve it!” White Hat snaps, causing his roommates to flinch. He wilts at the sight, a look of horror in his eyes. “… You’re both terrified of me, aren’t you?”

Clementia and Slug share a look, before Clementia answers for them both. “We’re not scared of  _ you,  _ love,” She assures, and although she’s obviously nervous, White Hat can see in her eyes that her fear isn’t being caused by him, at least not completely. “Sluggy and I… we’ve both been through a  _ lot  _ of awful stuff,” She continues, giving Slug in particular a pitying look. “Because of that, we tend to be…  _ jumpy, _ sometimes. We’re all just really stressed out about our soon-to-be new addition, that’s all.”

The way she says it makes it sound like they’re having a baby, something that has White Hat’s heart thumping. He finds his eyes lingering on Slug, and his lap in particular, remembering how sweet and affectionate his ward acted when in his little headspace… it had awakened something in the demon, something that deeply craves the presence of a child in his life. He doubts he’ll ever adopt an actual physical child- too much of a hassle, and any social worker that looks at his record will probably faint in shock- and even  _ if  _ adopting wasn’t an issue… well, the only kid White Hat wants is sitting a few feet away from him, nervous and young and very secretly perfect in the superhero’s eyes. He’s certain that there are other age-sliders out there that would be much more cooperative, and would jump at the chance to be his baby, but… none of them are Slug, so White Hat doesn’t want them.

“She’s right,” Slug says, snapping White Hat out of his daze. “I hate to admit it, but I’m fucking traumatized… that doesn’t make for great social skills,” He averts his eyes, shame in his irises as his mind wanders elsewhere. “It’s just… look, I forgive you, okay? I know you only punished me because I screwed up, and honestly? You probably should’ve done  _ worse,” _ He swallows, but not because he’s eating; he still hasn’t even gone to get himself any food yet. “In any case, stop beating yourself up about it, boss… it’s making things weird.”

Clementia scowls at that. “We can’t help being upset sometimes, Slug. Give him some slack.”

Slug scowls right back at her. “I  _ am; _ I’m just not willing to sit here and watch our boss burn himself out because he wants to hurt himself,” He looks into White Hat’s eyes, something heartfelt and genuinely worried in his own. “Seriously, boss, please stop this. No harm done, okay? I’m fine now… didn’t leave any scars or anything, sheesh.”

White Hat sighs, still feeling guilty… but his ward has a point; being this upset won’t do anyone any good. “You’re right, son… I’m sorry for any trouble I may have caused you two,” He looks away, continuing to stare at his plate. “Again, I’m very sorry for my terrible behavior… it was unacceptable. If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, let me know,” He holds up a hand when Slug goes to say something.  _ “Other _ than giving you my DNA to play with… you’re not getting my blood  _ that  _ easily, my little scamp,” He smirks at Slug, before glancing at Clementia, feeling bad for putting her in the middle of all of this. “My apologizes, Clementia… I didn’t mean to drag you into this. If you want, I cou-”

Clementia cuts him off by standing, picking him up out of his chair, and squeezing him against her chest in a bone-crushing hug. “-Stop being mean to yourself and let me hug you, ya big goof!” She says, upbeat and cheerful now that the problem has been addressed. She gives Slug a smirk from her place in the older hero’s arms, expression expectant. “Come on over here, ya little brat!” She orders, not allowing her roommate to sneak out of this.

Slug huffs, crossing his arms. “You’re both idiots,” He mutters, but still comes to stand beside White Hat and Clementia. For a moment, he doesn’t seem to know what to do- White Hat prays that his ward isn’t still afraid of him- before he awkwardly leans against the demon’s unoccupied side, not uncrossing his arms as he shoves his body against the superhero. “This is… the best I can do, I think.” He mutters, blushing red with embarrassment.

White Hat offers a chuckle, wrapping his arms around his companions. “You’re fine, son,” He promises, sparing him a kiss on the forehead. He hesitates with Clementia, very much wanting to, but after meeting her eyes, she shakes her head, so he settles for the hug. “This is  _ nice…  _ very warm,” He comments, closing his eyes with bliss. “We should hug more often.”

“This is  _ awkward,”  _ Slug decides, but he seems to secretly enjoy it, unknowingly nuzzling his cheek against the demon’s shoulder. “You people are so freaking weird.”

“You say  _ ‘you people’ _ like you’re not already part of the family,” Clementia laughs outright at Slug’s fussing, reaching her hand out of the group hug to playfully pinch the villain’s cheek. “Well guess what, buckaroo, you’re already gonna be in the Christmas cards!”

“I will  _ not!”  _ Slug snaps, face getting even redder at the thought.

“I’ll photoshop you in if I have to!” Clementia declares, jumping out of the hug to avoid Slug’s attempt at shoving her. “Aw, be nice, sweetie! Keep that up and I’ll edit you in wearing an elf costume! Won’t you look so  _ cute  _ on Santa here’s lap~!”

“I’ll kill you if you do that!” Slug shouts, escaping the hug to run after Clementia, but she dodges him with ease, gracefully floating into the air to avoid the delinquent’s aggression. “I swear to fucking god, I will kill you and then bring you back from the dead, only to kill you again! You’ll be going in and out of purgatory like a Bethesda glitch!”

“You’re such a silly billy!” Clementia continues to laugh at Slug, hovering off the ground to press her back against the ceiling, keeping herself out of Slug’s reach, the criminal trying to jump up and grab her. “Aw, what’s wrong, baby? Too short to grab me?”

“Fuck you, bitch, I’ve got a  _ chair!” _ Slug yells, running to grab his chair, which he brings over to where Clementia is. “I’ll get you now, motherfucker!”

White Hat’s tempted to step in- really, he should if he wants to keep them from fighting- but the hero finds himself smiling, taking a seat as he watches his loved ones tease each other. Slug does indeed get up to where Clementia is, grabbing her by the arms as he attempts to pull her down to be on the ground with him, but Clementia doesn’t make it easy for Slug, unbalancing his chair so that it falls over. To everyone’s surprise, Slug yelps in fear, holding onto his roommate like a lifeline, clinging to her like a baby koala. Again, Clementia giggles at the delinquent’s behavior, but it’s not malicious, as she very gently holds Slug to her chest, careful to make sure he doesn’t fall. She crawls along the ceiling, trying to find a way down without hurting her companion, but Slug panics, holding on tighter to Clementia, which causes her to gasp in pain, the unicorn-capped woman losing her grip on the young criminal.

In a flash, White Hat is underneath them, catching Slug before he can fall. It’s not like it would be a very far drop- only about six feet off the ground- but the hero doesn’t want his boy to be injured if he can help it. White Hat catches Slug princess style, the delinquent looking dizzy on impact. “Are you alright, son?” The demon asks, double checking before he makes any assumptions.

“No, I’m all left,” Slug jokes, but nods nonetheless, blinking several times as his head readjusts. “I’m never doing that again.  _ Ever.” _

“That’s fine by us, darling,” White Hat reassures, giving Slug a kiss to the forehead for the second time tonight, earning him a light scoff. “No need to fuss, son… are you hungry yet? Dinner is likely cold by now.”

“Good thing I ate already!” Clementia chimes in, floating gently back to the floor. She ruffles Slug’s hair once she’s close, not deterred by his glaring.

“Well excuse me for being emotionally open for once and missing dinner,” Slug mutters, rolling his eyes at Clementia. He glances back up at White Hat, meeting his gaze. “But, um… yeah, I could eat.” He answers, appearing almost sheepish.

“I’ll just reheat it for us!” White Hat offers, somewhat reluctantly setting Slug down before placing the contents of the pot into a bowl, which he pops into the microwave. “There! My, isn’t modern technology amazing? Back in my day, you had to reheat it with a campfire! Now all you need to do is use a microwave!”

“Yeah, thank fucking Christ for electricity,” Slug says rather sarcastically, not as impressed by such a thing as White Hat. “How long did you pop it in for?”

“Only-” White Hat is cut off by a loud, jarring explosion, which causes everyone to jump in fright. The lot of them turn, staring at the microwave, or at least, what’s  _ left  _ of the microwave. “… Only twenty minutes,” He squeaks out, eyes wide with horror. “It, um, wasn’t  _ supposed  _ to do that.”

“Good god, how did you even  _ do  _ that!?” Clementia is  _ beyond  _ shocked, slack jawed with unabashed confusion. “How, boss? Just… just  _ how!?” _

Slug shakes his head in horror, also incapable of understanding how White Hat managed such a feit. “Jesus H Christ, I don’t even know if I should be impressed or not,” He glances around, eyeing the car keys on the kitchen counter. “So, um… how about takeout?” He offers.

White Hat slumps, but nods nonetheless. “Very well… everyone in the van!”

“Car ride!” Clementia cheers, running out the door with excitement. “I call shotgun!”

“Hey!” Slug takes off after his roommate, trying to sound angry, but the laughter in his voice is audible. “You can’t call it unless you’re physically touching the car! Those are the rules!” He’s gone in a flash, trying to catch up to Clementia, but it’s obvious he’s already lost.

Again, White Hate finds himself smiling, heart warm with love for his roommates. Some part of him still feels guilty about the spanking he gave Slug two weeks ago, but he hopes to make up for it somehow; this is a good start. After grabbing his car keys, White Hat follows after his family members, determined to try and do right by them, even if it’s by doing something as simple as buying them fast food after destroying the microwave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t help writing comedy with Slug and Clementia; these two are like Flug and Demencia but with a lot less willingness to physically fight, relying mostly on insults and words for their disagreements. I’m sure this isn’t the last of White Hat’s guilt we’ll see- the dude is the living embodiment of regret at this point- but he genuinely wants to be better for his family! Please comment if you enjoyed this chapter, it would mean a lot to me!


	14. father and son bonding for the incredibly stupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for father-son bonding, but let’s be honest, this is the weirdest bonding session anyone has ever heard of. In other news, Slug gets creative and White Hat isn’t sure this is a good idea, but he wants to help in any way he can… even if it involves wrestling a wild animal or two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re wondering why this chapter has a chapter summary when almost none of the other ones have them, it’s because I’m typically very lazy, and for once I pre-wrote this one before most of the initial writing. To be fair, I’ve written summaries before, but… well, nine times out of ten, the chapter ends up being pretty different from what I originally planned to do, as I try to make the scenes flow more naturally as I write. After I’m done with this fic, I’ll go through and put in proper summaries… for now, you get this bullshit. I hope you enjoy!

It really doesn’t matter how long Slug Flys has been living here; he still has a hard time reaching out for help.

To be entirely fair, his own childhood trauma mixed with White Hat’s initial strictness didn’t help matters _ at all, _ and although things have certainly improved over time, Slug has never fully dismissed his paranoia, his brain convinced that any moment now, White Hat will kill him/toss him out on the streets. Shivering, Slug bites his lower lip, tentatively watching his guardian from his spot in the hallway, peering in at the demon through a cracked open door. In all honesty, the position reminds Slug vaguely of his childhood, and all the hours he spent sneaking glances and stares at his parents, longing to have a more meaningful relationship with them, but such a thing would never come to be. The delinquent shakes it off, scolding himself for getting lost in his own head, before he focuses his attention on his mentor again. White Hat seems to be tidying up in the library, reorganizing books and dusting them off as he circles the room, jinxed brooms and dustpans doing most of the work for him.

Even though White Hat uses magic fairly often, Slug is still enamored by what the superhero can do, always finding himself entranced when White Hat so much as puts a fire out with a snap of his fingers, or closes a door with a blink of his eyes. Still rather nervous, Slug crouches on the floor as he continues to watch, scared of getting caught even when he’s not in trouble for anything. Silent as a mouse, the young villain crawls into the library, ducking behind one of the loveseats as he watches his guardian clean, half tempted to offer his help, but he fears the consequences of interrupting the hero. Soon enough, White Hat has a majority of the library tidied up, at least as far as dusting goes. Rolling up his sleeves, the demon pulls a clean rag out of his jacket, using it to sweep off the tables and give the laminated wood a brighter shine. Eyes glued to White Hat’s hands, Slug watches as the superhero oh so carefully goes about his task, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Still cleaning off the table, with his eyes on it’s surface, White Hat let’s out a low, amused chuckle. “I can hear your heartbeat, little one… are you trying to play a game with me?” He asks, not even glancing at his ward.

Slug blushes a bright scarlet, embarrassed to be caught. “N-No!” He says, standing up quickly before dusting himself off, humiliated after being found in such a childish position. “I was just, uh…” He trails off a little, suddenly nervous. “Um… I need to ask you something, boss.”

White Hat finally looks at Slug, a curious glint in his eyes. “Oh? What do you need answered, my boy? Something the matter?”

“It’s nothing  _ bad…”  _ Slug again has trouble articulating himself, but he perseveres.  “I-I just need some help getting DNA samples, sir… for 6.0.6,” He pulls out a notepad from his back pocket, thumbing through the pages until he finds the list of animals he wrote down the other day. “The problem is that it’ll involve a lot of, um,  _ driving,”  _ He shifts in place, trying to ignore the feeling of the pull-up between his legs, which only goes to make him feel even smaller compared to the tall demon. “And…  _ animal wrestling.” _

White Hat falters for a moment, looking Slug over carefully. “You’re…  _ serious?” _ After receiving a tentative little nod, the hero takes a seat on the nearest chair in order to appear more casual, wanting Slug to feel less uncomfortable during their conversation. “May I ask why you wish to go about gathering samples in such a- how do I say this?-  _ risky  _ manner? Why not simply ask for the necessary samples at a laboratory of some sort?”

Slug doesn’t even hesitate. “I’m banned from interacting with every scientific organization in America, and I don’t doubt that Mexico banned me the minute they found out I was being moved here,” When White Hat opens his mouth to say something, the criminal cuts him off. “Don’t ask.”

“Alright, so that’s off the table… how about  _ I  _ ask for the samples?” White Hat suggests, trying to find an easier way to go about this. “And why wrestle the animals at all? Is there really no easy way to get the DNA samples that you need?”

“As much as I’d love to do this with less of a hassle, I doubt any science organization will just  _ give away  _ their samples without you being a scientist, and no offense, but your reputation might be even worse than  _ mine, _ boss,” Slug begins to untense as he explains himself, more at ease when White Hat doesn’t yell at him for not having a better plan. “As for the way we’re getting them… most of these animals are hard to track in the wild so, um… we’re going to the _ zoo.  _ At  _ night,” _ Slug sighs, secretly terrified of how his boss will react. “We’re, um… we’re probably going to have to break in after hours and sedate them… I wish I could say I’m a good shot, but I know I’m not, so I need someone less vulnerable to hold the animals in place while I sedate them and gather the DNA samples I need.”

“That sounds incredibly illegal,” White Hat deadpans, not at all pleased with this scenario. “Is there really  _ no other way  _ to do this, son?”

Slug shakes his head in defeat. “Unfortunately, I can’t think of any other way to get the DNA I need for this… sorry, sir.”

White Hat sighs heavily, shaking his head as well, but more out of frustration. “I see… very well,” He dusts off his hands on his pants, as if he feels dirty just discussing committing a crime; that, or he got dust on himself while he was tidying up the library a minute ago. “I will go with you then, both to drive you there as well as to keep the animals in place.”

“Wait… you’re actually gonna help me?” Slug can’t keep the shock out of his voice, puzzled by White Hat’s cooperation; it seems almost too easy. “No offense, but I thought it would be harder than that.”

“I’m aware of how stubborn you are, son… when you get set on doing something, it’s very hard to stop you, especially when it’s a necessary thing to do,” White Hat explains, acting very calm on the matter. “I’d rather be by your side through this rather than have you running off on your own and getting yourself hurt.”

Slug hesitates, before smiling brightly at his boss. “That’s… that’s  _ great!”  _ He says, grinning from ear to ear at the tall demon. “Awesome, I’ll… I’ll get suited up then! We’ll do it tonight!” He runs for the doorway, pausing for a moment, before running back to White Hat, giving the superhero a hug. “Thanks, boss! I really appreciate it!” Once done, he takes off to his lab to prepare himself for the mission, not even noticing the awestruck look of happiness on his mentor’s face.

…

Over the next several hours, Slug both physically and mentally prepares himself for the mission tonight, getting his equipment ready while giving himself an internal peptalk. He isn’t too afraid, as he knows he’ll have White Hat with him to help get the animals held down for sedation and DNA collection, but it’s still intimidating to be breaking and entering for the first time in… god, Slug doesn’t even remember;  _ seven  _ months?  _ Maybe? _ Does breaking into a room that he’s not supposed to be in count, because if it does than it actually hasn’t been that long, but still, he hasn’t done anything this risky in quite a long time. Slug forces those thoughts away, not wishing to wig himself out, even though it’s difficult for him. Instead, he focuses on getting his equipment in order, stashing a large tranquilizer gun, several rounds of darts, an injection kit, a lunch box with ice packs for sample storage, and a first aid kit into his backpack, the tranquilizer gun sticking out the top, but that can’t be helped. Once his bag is organized, Slug sets it aside, beginning to get his costume in order.

For the longest time, Slug’s only been dressed in civilian clothing, as he hasn’t needed to do anything high profile up until now. Sighing, the young criminal takes out an old suitcase from under his work desk, dusting it off before unlocking it with a passcode. Opening it up, Slug finds the outfit he put together a few days after he and White Hat agreed to start the organization… to be honest, he never thought he’d wear it very often, as he wants to believe working on the organization is a temporary thing- something he’s beginning to realize isn’t as temporary as he intended it to be- but nonetheless, he created this outfit in order to make his little brother’s made up superhero a reality. Slug still has little idea where his younger brother is- hopefully far, far away from here- but wherever he is, he hopes that Flug someday turns on his TV, only to see his big brother as the superhero he dreamed up… okay, not the  _ exact  _ hero, but hey, Slug needs to put his own spin on the character if he wants to be original!

As a result, Slug has assembled his outfit to nearly be the polar opposite of Flug’s original design, save for the paper bag mask and goggles. Instead of a white lab coat, Slug has a long duster of a leather jacket, with three pointed spikes on each shoulder pad, making him look just a bit more muscular, at least, he  _ hopes  _ that’s how he’ll look. For the undershirt, the villain plans on just wearing his favorite red turtleneck, as it makes him feel safe in an otherwise dangerous situation or environment. Slug keeps his pants a little closer to the original, except that they’re black- he’s going all in with the idea of a darker aesthetic, White Hat’s signature colors be damned- and finally, he wears a pair of blue converse instead of the intended red ones. In all honesty, Slug prefers the red converse suggestion, but as Flug’s design had blue as the overall main color, he thinks it would be a cute nod to wear blue converse instead, as well as continuing the idea of becoming an opposite to his little brother’s character.

Slug throws the outfit on, saving the paper bag and goggles for last, almost ripping the bag when he puts it on. Once his goggles are in place, Slug looks at himself in the mirror, feeling…  _ complete; _ he suddenly understands the appeal of wearing full body costumes. Unable to contain a small smirk, the delinquent taps a button on the side of his goggles, causing the dots showing where his eyes are looking to turn red. It’s probably overkill, as Slug is well aware that his costume is incredibly edgy and over the top, but hey, if he’s already going with this aesthetic, he may as well go all in. With his body and supplies ready, the criminal pulls on his backpack, practically running up the stairs with his excitement, his newfound persona making him feel more confident in the face of opposition. Almost immediately, Slug runs right into White Hat, stopping just before he can slam into the tall demon. White Hat just…  _ stares  _ at the young delinquent, eyes wide with surprise as they examine the man before him.

“Uh… _ surprise?” _ Slug offers, feeling somewhat embarrassed that he didn’t warn White Hat in advance. “I figure if you’re making me into a superhero, I may as well wear a costume for it, especially when we’re out in public.”

White Hat blinks a few times, still taking it all in. “It’s certainly very…” He struggles with his words, not wanting to offend Slug, but it’s obvious he isn’t as into the outfit as his ward. “It’s very…  _ you,” _ He decides, arms behind his back as he circles the boy, taking a closer look at his costume. “A fair bit too criminal for my tastes, but I can’t deny that it suits you.”

As that’s the best Slug is going to get, the villain nods, biting his tongue to keep from growing irritated with his guardian. “So, um… are you ready?” He changes the subject, as the situation has obviously grown awkward. “If you need a few minutes, I can wait.”

White Hat shakes his head, putting on a kind smile to ease the tension. “No, I’m all ready to go… are you?”

“Of course,” Slug moves his right shoulder, jostling the backpack to draw attention to it. “I’ve got everything we’ll need, plus some emergency supplies, just in case.”

“Wonderful!” White Hat claps his hands together, grinning like a bobcat. “I’ll get my keys then!” He walks off to find them, giving Slug a few moments of alone time.

Slug lets out a long, tired sigh once the demon walks away. Deep down, he has a feeling that something bad will happen during the mission- something always goes wrong, one way or another- he just hopes that, no matter what happens, this won’t end in anyone getting hurt… and yes, that includes his backside.

…

“You know, when I imagined bringing you to the zoo, I hoped that it would be during the daytime,” White Hat admits, voice low as he and his ward exit the van, staring in wonder at the large zoo before them. “As well as hopefully during a time where we wouldn’t be breaking the law.”

“You imagined bringing me here?” Slug asks, even though he actually isn’t all that surprised. Ever since the convention, he’s known what White Hat wants from him, and what a lot of those wants entail. “Never mind that… we’ve got work to do,” The criminal files through his backpack, double checking his supplies before giving his guardian a swift nod. “I think I’ve got everything we’ll need… any bright ideas on how to get in?”

“You don’t already have a plan!?” White Hat is shocked, used to Slug having a plan for everything, and backup plans for all of those plans going wrong.

“Of course I have a plan; I was just checking to see if any of your magic could get us inside easier.” Slug explains, offhandedly eyeing the thirteen foot tall electric fence surrounding the zoo. He can easily turn off the electricity, but he isn’t looking forward to the thought of physically climbing over it.

“Unfortunately, I don’t believe my magic will be very good for this,” White Hat admits, looking away almost sheepishly. “I used quite a bit of my powers cleaning today, as I didn’t think they would be needed for tonight… I’ve still a bit left, but I don’t wish to risk endangering us by running out. I’ve enough for a few teleportations of myself and objects, but not two people at the same time.”

Slug tries to hide his disappointment by continuing to stare at that fence. “Guess we’re climbing, then…” He winces a little when glancing at his guardian, secretly concerned for the old demon. “Think you’ll be okay getting over the fence, boss? It’s pretty damn steep.”

White Hat huffs, rolling his eyes at Slug’s doubtfulness. “Yes, well, I’m much more limber than you give me credit for, son,” He assures, marching across the parking lot and towards the fence. “I’ll have you know that my brother and I spent many years on the streets, and I’m well accustomed to the art of hopping fences.”

Slug resists the urge to laugh outright, unable to imagine his straight-laced, uptight mentor as anything resembling a rebel. “Oh, I’m  _ sure,”  _ He says rather sarcastically, jogging ahead of White Hat with a pair of pliers in hand, making a beeline for the electric box connected to the fence. “Just give me a minute here, boss; I’ll cut the power.”

White Hat pauses beside Slug, eyeing the pliers in his hands. “… Do you not believe me when I say that I’ve committed a crime before, son?” He asks after a long pause, somewhat curious.

“Do you want me to be honest? No, I don’t believe you,” Slug deadpans, eyes on what he’s working on as he cuts and rearranges wires, mindful not to electrocute himself. “I mean, I know you’ve beaten the living crap out of a lot of villains, but I don’t think you’ve done anything like pickpocketing or trespassing before.”

White Hat actually gets offended by that. “Although I certainly don’t condone it anymore, my brother and I did what we had to in order to survive as children and teenagers, and I have not yet forgotten what we went through,” He scowls at Slug, irritated with the criminal. “You may think me soft and nonthreatening, but I was not always like this.”

Slug chuckles under his breath, amused by how upset White Hat is getting over such a little thing. “Are you seriously getting worked up over this? Really?” When he only feels the demon’s glare continue to sit on him, he laughs again. “Okay, fine, whatever…” He suddenly stands up straighter, clicking a few switches on the control panel, which causes the electricity running through the fence to be cut off, leaving it harmless. “I’ve got an idea, boss; first one of us up and over the fence wins. No magic, no shoving, it’ll be a completely clean race,” To make things more fair on himself, Slug hands his backpack to White Hat, who blinks to have it reappear on the other side of the fence, that way neither of them has to carry it. “What do you say, sir? Wanna prove you’ve still got it?”

White Hat immediately has a concerned look on his face. “Now, Slug, I don’t want you hurting yourself trying to beat me in a silly game,” He eyes the fence carefully, aware that it’s quite tall, at least when compared to most security fences, but that’s to be expected when the people who own the fence are caging in wild animals. “Besides, it’s also quite tall… I’d hate for you to fall and hurt yourself.”

“That sounds like something someone who’s afraid he’ll lose would say,” Slug comments, smirking at the superhero. “What’s wrong, boss? Don’t think you can beat me?”

White Hat scoffs outright. “Of course I could beat you, son… I’m-”

“-A pussy? Because that’s what you sound like,” Slug mocks, not letting White Hat finish his sentence. “Aw, how sad, the dreaded White Hat is a little coward!”

White Hat gets blue in the face with anger.  _ “Excuse _ me? Young man, that’s no way to talk to someone!” He scolds, but he can’t keep from glancing back at the fence, the smallest spark of competition in his bones eager to prove Slug wrong. “I have nothing to prove, son.”

Slug continues to smirk. “Nothing to prove? Didn’t I  _ just  _ say I don’t believe you’ve ever trespassed before? Sounds to me like you need to prove you’re not all talk,” He softens a fraction, mindful of how upset White Hat is getting; he likes to tease, but he doesn’t want to get himself into too much trouble over something so petty. “Come on, boss, it’ll be fun! Trust me!”

Again, White Hat is hesitant, but with a great sigh, he rolls up his sleeves. “Very well, Samuel… no pushing, yes? And no magic?”

“Of course not; you’re the only one who isn’t human here,” Slug says, rolling up his own sleeves to prepare himself. “On the count of three, we start climbing, okay?”

“What’s the prize?” White Hat can’t help but ask, wondering what Slug has in mind.

_ “Prize? _ The only  _ prize  _ is bragging rights,” Slug explains, taking a few deep breaths as he braces himself. “Alright, on the count of three, we run for the fence! One… two…  _ three!” _ He sprints towards the fence, taking a running leap at the wired barrier.

White Hat follows after him, at least, Slug assumes so, too focused on trying to climb as fast as possible to pay much attention to how well his guardian is doing. Internally, he scolds himself on a number of things, not the least of which being that he’s challenged someone to a physical challenge, which isn’t his forte  _ at all.  _ But as White Hat isn’t too physically fit himself, Slug feels more confident in taking the chance. The other thing that has him cringing on the inside is the very challenge itself, his conscious scolding the delinquent for acting so childish as to race someone, but Slug tries not to beat himself up too badly, as everyone likes to have little races like this every now and again, right? It’s perfectly normal! Fairly quickly, Slug soon finds himself at the top of the fence, but he can hear that White Hat isn’t far behind him. The villain hesitates for a fraction of a second, before impulsively throwing himself off the top of the fence, forgetting that he planned to climb down more safely and let go about halfway down. He lands with an audible thump on his side, the wind getting knocked out of him on impact.

“Sam!” White Hat shouts, having only just gotten to the top of the wire fence. A moment later, he’s right by Slug’s side, kneeling down to look the criminal over. Once certain that the delinquent is relatively unharmed, the hero scolds his errant ward. “Goodness, Samuel, what were you  _ thinking!?  _ You’re lucky you didn’t break anything!”

“At least I… won,” Slug mutters, voice coming out as a low wheeze. “Told you I was faster, boss.”

Before the boy can stand up and sort himself out, White Hat sets Slug over his knee, before beginning to swat his ward’s thankfully covered backside. The delinquent blushes with embarrassment, squirming to try and get away, but White Hat refuses to let him go, intent on teaching him a lesson. “Don’t you  _ ever  _ do that again, Samuel! Do you understand me? That was very reckless!” He lectures, all while continuing the spanking.

Slug bites his lip to keep from yelping, horrified that this happening in a place that they could get seen. “I’m s-sorry, sir!” He stutters out, finding it hard to speak properly when he’s getting punished. “It won’t happen again, I promise!”

“See that it doesn’t,” White Hat says, allowing Slug up a moment later, standing up alongside the young criminal. Once they’re standing, the superhero takes hold of Slug’s hands, having the villain look into his eyes as he addresses him. “Please, son… take better care of yourself,” White Hat requests, tone soft and concerned. “I wasn’t kidding when I said you could have gotten very hurt through that stunt,” With the scolding done, he pats Slug on the shoulder, careful not to pierce himself on the delinquent’s spiked shoulder pads. “Now then, where to first?”

Slug scowls at the demon, subtly rubbing his backside through his jeans, the slight sting annoying him. “I know that what I did was stupid, but if you ever whoop me out in the open again, I will seriously kill you.”

White Hat falters, glancing around, before he blushes a light cerulean. “Oh… whoopsies,” He mumbles, embarrassed that he did something like this. “Forgive me, Slug, I forgot where we were for a split second… at least it’s dark out, right?”

Slug continues pouting, not taking it as lightly as his mentor. “If you whooping my ass ends up on Youtube, I promise to break your kneecaps in your sleep,” Although he’s still upset, Slug tries putting his feelings aside, pulling back on his backpack and taking out his notebook to flip through it. “Alright, so I think going for the rhinos is a good start… we’ll work our way up from there.”

“May I ask why you decided that  _ rhinos  _ are the easiest target?” White Hat asks, clearly worried about what animals he’ll have to help pacify tonight. “I was hoping we’d be starting with a bunny, or perhaps a litter of puppies.”

“Boss,” Slug gives his guardian a leveled look, trying to appear serious even though he wants to laugh at White Hat’s suggestions. “I already got the cute and fuzzy DNA samples… I saved the best for last,” He steps forward, beginning to lead the way. “Follow me, and remember to stay out of sight; security’s light on the weekdays, but there are still a few guards wandering around.”

Silently, the duo trek their way through the zoo, slowly but surely amassing the DNA samples that they need. The rhino is easy enough to get under control, White Hat merely having to pet it’s horn to keep it sleeping while Slug draws it’s blood. The next animal- hyenas- are a tad harder to calm down, but White Hat uses his top hat as a chew toy, letting the canines gnaw on it while Slug sedates one and gathers the DNA he needs. This continues to go as planned, the duo getting DNA samples from a polar bear, a grizzly bear, a panda, a lion, and an elephant. Soon enough, Slug and White Hat find themselves at the home of the last animal they need a sample from…  _ the tiger’s den. _ Slug can’t contain his nervous gulp, well aware that this zoo’s tiger is  _ notoriously  _ irritable, becoming known as the most difficult animal in the zoo to deal with and care for. After waiting out the next guard rotation, the duo sneaks into the building holding the tiger, as it’s infamy has earned it a more upscale and private containment unit.

Inside, the lights are on low, but Slug walks forward anyways, bumping right into a railing. As his eyes adjust, the criminal stares down into a deep pit, which has to be at least ten feet deep. Inside, he can just make out the tiger- King Cory, as he’s been nicknamed but the staff here- the tip of the large predator’s tail sticking out of it’s artificial cave. “Looks like the king’s sleeping,” Slug whispers, not wanting to wake the animal. “Alright, so here’s the plan… White Hat, I need you to teleport inside and hold him down, okay? He’s known for rolling a lot, so be careful of that. While you do that, I’ll climb down and tranq him.”

“You’re not going to just throw yourself down again, are you?” White Hat asks tentatively, not afraid to give his ward an unimpressed glare. “Unlike last time, you would be putting yourself very close to a wild animal, and it might attack you if you get injured.”

“I’ll be careful, boss,” Slug assures, pulling out the rope from his backpack to tie around the railing, intending on using it as a makeshift ladder. “See? I’ll just use this to get down there; easy peasy!”

“If you’re so sure…” White Hat swallows, before bracing himself mentally for what he has to do. With a sigh, he teleports to be standing in the tiger’s den, King Cory immediately perking up when he sees the stranger. “Um… hello, Cory,” The demon greets, trying to speak sweetly to the tiger. “Aren’t you a pretty kitty… must be fun being a king, isn’t it?”

“Jesus Christ,” Slug mutters, rolling his eyes at White Hat’s baby talk. “He’s not your everyday house cat, boss; he’s a wild animal!”

“I know, son, I know,” White Hat promises, waving Slug off while still holding eye contact with King Cory, the tiger standing up with a low growl as he makes his way out of his den. He’s absolutely  _ massive, _ even for a tiger, being at least eleven and a half feet tall when on his hind legs, and weighing in at a troubling four-hundred and forty pounds. “Easy, Cory… you wouldn’t hurt your new friend, would you? No, I don’t think you-” Before White Hat can get another word out, King Cory pounces. “Oh good lord!”

“Holy  _ shit!” _ Slug shouts, eyes wide in shock as King Cory pounces on top of White Hat, burying his teeth in the demon’s chest. As expected, White Hat isn’t really hurt too badly, but he nonetheless bleeds, yelping more as a result of the weight than any sort of real pain. “J-Just k-keep him busy, boss,” Slug murmurs, terrified as he tries to climb down the rope as quietly as possible. However, as he’s about a foot down, something tugs on the rope from below him. Slug glances down, literally wetting himself at the sight. “Oh _ fuck!” _

King Cory has left White Hat on the ground, quickly growing bored of the superhero not reacting to the biting like most people should. Instead, King Cory has decided to bite onto the bottom end of Slug’s rope, tugging on it like a tug-of-war toy. Slug holds on as tightly as he can, petrified with fright, as King Cory shakes his head, attempting to play with the villain, but he and Slug obviously have  _ very  _ different play styles. With a few strong swings, Slug loses his grip, being sent flying to the ground, landing behind King Cory due to how much he was being swung around. For a moment, the delinquent’s vision is invaded by black dots, the fall disorienting him greatly. Offhandedly, Slug can hear White Hat screaming something unknown to him, but he’s too busy trying to sit up on his knees to understand what the demon is talking about. What is he  _ saying? _ Wait, did he say to run?  _ Why? _

“Sammy!” White Hat shouts as loud as he can, holding onto King Cory by his back legs to keep the tiger from running at his ward, the hero digging his heels into the ground to keep from being dragged by the big cat. “Sammy, you need to  _ run! _ Get the tranquilizer!”

Slug stands shakily, swaying in place, his head feeling as if it’s full of marbles. Patting the sides of his head, Slug soon shakes it off, beginning to stumble/run to his backpack, which has fallen just below where the remains of his rope was tied. Very quietly, Slug tiptoes past King Cory, but the tiger never takes his eyes off of the criminal, seemingly entranced by the young man. Although it’s hard, Slug does his best to ignore him, trying to get back to his backpack in one piece. Once there, he lets out a quick sigh of relief, glad to have not gotten killed. Judging by the sounds of scuffling and grunting behind him, Slug knows he doesn’t have long, so he gets the tranquilizer gun loaded as fast as he possibly can, his fear making his hands tremble more than normal, causing him to fumble with the ammunition. The moment the gun is ready, Slug hears a loud yelp behind him. The delinquent freezes in place, turning around just in time to see King Cory running at him, the tiger letting out a thunderous roar as he sprints at the boy.

Time seems to slow, Slug frozen in fear. He can’t move; he can’t breathe. Too scared to even blink, Slug can only watch as King Cory leaps into the air, pouncing towards him. Is this it? Is this how he dies? Of all the ways to die, Slug never thought it would be at the hands- or rather,  _ paws- _ of a  _ tiger  _ of all things. He imagined dying to superheroes, yes, as he has a feeling the Wilhelm Incident didn’t get all of the crooked capes, and they no doubt want his head on a pike after what he did to them, but  _ never  _ to a wild animal. Will anyone remember him? If White Hat lives, which he probably will, he’ll probably never stop blaming himself for Slug’s death, which actually makes the young villain feel guilty, wishing he could reassure the hero from the afterlife that he never really hated him… disliked him at first, sure, but never truly  _ hated.  _ Will Clementia miss him? Maybe, but Slug has a sneaking suspicion that she never really liked him all that much. That, or maybe he’s just not used to her sort of affection… suppose he’ll never know now.

All at once, in this frozen moment, Slug feels an overwhelming sense of  _ longing, _ wishing to see his little brother just  _ one more time  _ before he goes. Will Flug ever know what really happened to him? Will White Hat tell him how he died? Slug hopes not, as he doesn’t want his younger brother to carry that with him for the rest of his life; he’d rather White Hat tell him that his big brother died as a superhero of some sort, even if it would be a lie. Will Flug miss him? Will he even  _ know  _ his big brother is  _ gone? _ Slug wants to cry, his life not quite flashing before his eyes; instead, he only remembers his regrets.  _ He never told Lewis goodbye.  _ The funeral they’d had for him- _ the day before Slug would grab his little brother and run away, his only point in staying six feet under-  _ was too full of strangers, and the teenager had been too uncomfortable to break down and mourn, carrying the weight of Lewis’ death throughout the rest of his life, feeling as if his body was weighed down by the earth itself.

Well… at least now he’ll finally see him again.

**“GET AWAY FROM MY _SON!_** _ ” _

Slug blinks, and a moment later, White Hat is the one doing the pouncing, slamming King Cory into the ground to keep him from attacking his ward. “Dad!” Slug shouts without thinking, watching with wide eyes as his mentor wrestles the big cat, pinning him to the ground.

“Tranquilize him, Samuel!” White Hat orders through gritted teeth, unable to afford taking his eyes off of the predator.

Slug nods, coming back to his senses as he shakily aims the gun directly at King Cory’s thigh, which he fires about three darts into. After only a few seconds, the tiger goes still, falling asleep after the injections take their effect. Still panting, White Hat climbs off of the tiger, stumbling towards Slug. For a moment, the villain’s half scared he’s about to be punished for his recklessness- an undeserved punishment, in his opinion, as he didn’t  _ mean  _ to get fucking launched like a sack of potatoes!- but his paranoia appears unfounded within only a few minutes. Very gently- almost too gently, considering the power he just proved himself to possess- White Hat lays his hands on Slug’s shoulders, looking deeply into his young ward’s eyes. Slug stares right back, gaping at the emotion he sees in the demon’s eyes, witnessing the superhero’s terror and worry firsthand. Although he never soulgazed before meeting the demon, Slug still recognizes White Hat’s worry as somewhat familiar, having seen Lewis act similarly a few times as a young child and teenager.

“That was… that was…” White Hat struggles to even  _ speak, _ the adrenaline in his bones making him disoriented and off-kilter. “I thought he was going to-”

“-It’s okay now, boss,” Slug whispers, taking the demon’s hands off his shoulders, holding them with his own so he can rub his knuckles oh so gently, wishing to help his guardian calm down. “It’s all okay now… we’re  _ both  _ okay,” He glances thoughtfully at King Cory, watching the tiger snooze peacefully on the ground. “How about you take a breather while I get the DNA sample, alright? You deserve a little break.” Slug helps White Hat take a seat on the floor, before going back to his backpack for the injection kit.

It doesn’t take long, but as Slug doesn’t want to risk doing this again with King Cory, he takes about five vials of blood, as well as a small patch of fur from off of the tiger’s back. Once finished, Slug carefully packs up his injection kit and tranquilizer gun, making sure not to leave anything behind, lest a zookeeper find something and grow suspicious. His things packed accordingly, Slug comes to crouch beside White Hat, looking the hero over. It doesn’t look like he’s hurt, save for some bite mark shaped patches of blue blood on his jacket, but after tucking the demon’s shirt out of the way, Slug sees that the wounds have already healed, leaving nothing but slight indents behind. Wordlessly, and before the delinquent can say anything, White Hat stands, dusting himself off. Slug moves to speak, but his guardian doesn’t let him, cutting his words short by scooping him up into his arms, holding the criminal close to himself. Slug sort of wants to resist him, but considering all they’ve been through tonight, he allows White Hat this small comfort.

To Slug’s relief, White Hat thankfully doesn’t start bawling, but he’s still silently weeping, jaw ironclad as he takes Slug’s backpack from him, adjusting it to be carried on his own back. Again, the villain doesn’t object, well aware that White Hat needs the freedom to sort himself out. Although the rope was ripped apart earlier, the superhero fixes it with a blink, and climbs it one handed, which Slug is tempted to ask about, but he holds his tongue, deciding to not question anything that’s happening, at least for the time being. After the next guard shift occurs- seriously, how the hell did the guard not hear them? Oh, he’s wearing airpods, nevermind- White Hat sneaks them out, Slug clinging to him like a koala the whole time, remaining silent for safety’s sake. They escape undetected, and were it not for the circumstances, Slug would be half tempted to report this zoo for negligence, but he supposes they’ll learn their lesson some other night. Free of the zoo, White Hat walks them back to the van, remaining dead quiet.

Once he’s been placed back in the van, Slug finally gives up on staying quiet. “I’m okay, boss, really… look, I know that was a close one, but-”

“-You almost  _ died, _ Sam,” There’s almost no emotion in White Hat’s voice, but listening closely, Slug recognizes what it is;  _ fear. _ White Hat climbs into the front seat, taking a few deep breaths to ground himself. He pauses, glancing into the backseat to finally make eye contact with Slug again, his own eyes filled with tears. “Sammy… you know I love you, right?”

Almost tentatively, Slug nods. “Y-Yeah, boss…  _ I know,” _ He promises, not quite meeting White Hat’s gaze, as he doesn’t want to see his reaction to what he says next. “I, um… I love you too, ya know. I don’t always show it, ‘cus I’m kind of an idiot in that sense, but it’s true.”

There’s an almost audible smile from White Hat, his sniffling hinting to Slug that the tears are falling again. “Thank you, Sammy… that means more to me than you’ll ever know,” He says, before starting the car, definitely smiling as he does so. “Let’s go home, darling; Can’t let all of that hard work go to waste, now can we?”

Slug doesn’t answer the demon, preferring to continue staring out the window. White Hat doesn’t falter, continuing to smile to himself as he drives them home, it being a rather long drive ahead of them. The first chance they get, the superhero pulls up to a drive-thru, getting himself a sweetened coffee and, to Slug’s surprise, a hot fudge sundae for his ward. Once he’s paid and gotten his purchase, White Hat hands the sundae to Slug, alongside a spoon of course. Almost shyly, the criminal takes it from his boss, only eating a little of it every now and then. Again, this doesn’t upset White Hat, the demon likely chalking Slug’s silence up to be a combination of embarrassment from confessing his feelings, as well as a result of the traumatic incident still being recent. In reality, that’s only somewhat true, as a deeper guilt keeps Slug from hardly even  _ looking  _ at White Hat, the young delinquent making a point not to let his mentor see the tiny vial of darkened, ocean blue blood in his possession, something Slug is deeply ashamed to have.

White Hat, whether he knows it or not, has finally proved to Slug that he’s the only real hero he’s ever seen or met, and if that’s the case… he eyes the vial of stolen blood, before closing his eyes in surrender. He needs true, honest goodness to make 6.0.6 a reality, and he believes himself to not be good enough to give his own blood… he just hopes that, someday, White Hat will forgive him for what he’s about to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a little longer than my usual chapters (save of course for the convention chapters) but it was totally worth it! Thank you for reading, and please comment if you enjoyed it! Some ending chapter notes, because I haven’t done these in awhile and I miss spitting out stupid, unnecessary details:
> 
> 1\. The funniest part about Slug hoping Flug isn’t anywhere near him is that, at this point in the timeline, Flug literally lives a little over an hour away from him.  
> 2\. Me, the entire time writing the King Cory scene: “Zookeeper, there’s a stupid kid and his equally stupid dad being mauled by King Cory! Oh my god, he’s wearing airpods, he can’t hear us!”  
> 3\. I almost named King Cory “King Curtis” but then I realized the reference and had to stop myself.  
> 4\. How Slug got White Hat’s blood: no, he didn’t sneak a needle into his dad while he was being carried (I’m a bastard, yes, but I’m not EVIL!); he got the blood from off the ground while White Hat wasn’t paying attention… geez, Slug, aren’t you worried that getting it that way will make it be CONTAMINATED? >:3

**Author's Note:**

> And that’s chapter 1!!! Yeah, we’re definitely starting in a rough place, but I promise that it’ll get better! I’ll clear up some things/gush about lore down below. Thank you for reading my story, y’all!
> 
> 1\. Black Hat voice: Aren’t you tired of being nice? Don't you just wanna go apeshit? :)  
> 2\. On that note; Black Hat and White Hat are roughly around 14 or 15 in that flashback, although it’s not said outright or hinted at too strongly (other than the fact that the two of them are beginning to fight more).  
> 3\. It’s something that I’ll get into with more detail in the Black Hat and White Hat backstory fic, but before they split up, Black was pretty much the only one getting angry really??? White felt guilty for feeling anger, so he held everything in, which he couldn’t do anymore after they split up. Seeing as he no longer had a filter after several centuries of holding it in… yeah, White Hat finally went apeshit.  
> 4\. Like, it’s a somewhat manageable apeshit, but he’s still going off on people. As a superhero, it didn’t take a lot to get him going, and once he’s gone off, nothing was really stopping him from shredding/beating the fuck out of whoever pissed him off. This has led to most heroes and villains avoiding him at all costs, as his brutality was seen as overkill, even by people like Black Hat! (He’s a fucking hypocrite but what else is new?)  
> 5\. Slug isn’t lying about his age here; he really is twenty years old, so this takes place roughly two years after he and Flug have run away, and two years prior to the beginning of this series.  
> 6\. The reason Slug is seen as so dangerous will be discussed later in the fic, so if he seems overpowered by how people describe him, that will be explained later.  
> 7\. Clementia and Demencia have VERY similar backstories as far as how they met their current employers (the only difference is how they got there). I worry sometimes that I make them too alike, but I hope to get into what makes them different in later fics.  
> 8\. Yeah, this fic is gonna have A LOT of White Hat spanking Slug (it’s been a long time coming), so get ready for that… I plan on there being at least ONE (1) really violent spanking, but there WILL be aftercare and a resolution (I’ll put up a lot of warnings when it happens just to be safe, and not just in the author’s note).


End file.
